Just Be Yourself
by TheDancer'sYellowRaincoat
Summary: Naruto finds the courage to tell his friends he is gay. Will Sasuke be able to find his own courage before his and Naruto's relationship suffers? SasuNaru. SaiNaru. Other pairings...
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: **

Yay everyone this is my new story, hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own Naruto, nor do I own any of his friends, enemies, or the people he's never met.

**Warning: **

Not entirely sure yet whether or not this story is gonna be 'riskaaay' so I've rated it M just in case. Nothing to worry about in the first chapters though...

* * *

Chapter One:** A Confession.**

A short blonde boy with an orange rucksack dawdled up the stairs and through the front doors of KonohaCollege. He passed the main office, ignoring the disapproving looks he received from the office ladies. He turned left and walked along a hallway of glass display cases, the achievements and faces of previous students of KonohaCollege peering out at him. The boy laughed at their serious expressions and waved at them. Reaching the Social Studies corridor he smiled to himself as the emptiness. Twenty five minutes ago, the corridor would have been filled with students, jostling each other and fighting and chatting, all giving a collective sigh once the bell rang for first period. The blonde boy adjusted the straps of his rucksack, not quickening his pace.

He arrived at his destination: Room 6b. Seeing through the small rectangular window in the door that class was already well underway the boy grinned.

"Late!" the blonde heard the moment he opened the door. "Late again, Uzumaki!"

"Eh-heheh…" the boy laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he did so.

The teacher, a pale man by the name of Orochimaru Sannin, sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "Just take a seat Naruto." He said.

"Sorry, sir," Naruto said, making his way to the back of the class, grinning at his classmates. "I forgot it was Monday."

* * *

"Gah, I hate Social Studies!" Naruto complained to his friends as they made their way to their second period classes.

"You might like it more if you weren't always testing Mr. Sannin's patience." said a black-haired boy much taller than Naruto.

"Yeah, Nar," The boy on the other side of the blonde agreed. "You could spend your time actually listening, rather than thinking up ways to annoy him."

Naruto frowned. "I don't do that." He said pouting at his friends.

"Whatever you say, idiot." The boy with black hair turned gracefully into his classroom, not bothering to say goodbye.

"Ugh, Kiba, what's up with Sasuke?" Naruto asked the brown-haired boy still walking alongside him.

"What do you mean?" Kiba looked at Naruto, his eyes questioning.

"He's not usually so… cold towards me…" the blonde said, stopping with Kiba at the brunette's locker.

Kiba smirked. "Cold?"

"Ugh forget it. Let's just get to class."

"Don't you want to get your books?" Kiba pointed down the hall in the direction of Naruto's locker.

Naruto laughed. "Nah, I don't use them anyway. No point."

"Right." Kiba muttered, following the short blonde to their next class.

* * *

The mad rush outside as the bell rang for interval was Sasuke's least favourite part of school, not that he had a favourite part. Everyone pushing and shoving each other, looking for their friends in the tidal wave of students scrambling to get out into the sun: it wasn't a fun time for the anti-social raven-haired teen. Sasuke absolutely hated being touched by the swarm of people so he always waited at least five minutes in his class before venturing out into the madness.

Exiting from his English class Sasuke was pleased to see that the majority of the school had already gone outside. He made his way to his locker, taking large strides with his long slender legs. After he put away his English books and retrieved the books he needed for third and fourth period Sasuke glided outside.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" Naruto waved liked a maniac as Sasuke neared their table. Only Kiba was there as of yet.

"Why are you so cheerful all the time?" the raven asked, setting his dark blue backpack on the table.

"Not everyone. Has to be. Depressed and emo. Sasuke." Kiba said, alternating words between chewing his sandwich.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, sitting beside Naruto and opening his bag.

"Sasuke!" an even more annoying voice than Naruto's cut through the warm spring air. _Ino. _Sasuke scowled.

"Give it a break, Ino." A girl with pink hair said, walking up beside Ino.

"Hey Naruto." Sakura said, sitting to the left of Kiba. "Mr. Sannin was in a terrible mood second period. He kept yelling at us for really stupid things." The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "I'm guessing you were being a little bitch again." Sakura leaned forward and hit Naruto on the top of his head. "THINK ABOUT OTHERS, NARUTO!" she screamed before calming down and retrieving an apple from her bag.

Ino went to sit beside Sasuke, but he moved his bag from the table top to beside him. She scowled and sat on the right of Kiba.

"Awwah yeaah!" Kiba grinned stupidly, putting his arms around the two girls either side of him. "The chicks dig me." He said.

"Ugh get off, mutt." Ino spat out, shrugging away from the shaggy-haired boy. Sakura smiled awkwardly and gently removed his arm.

"Sakura…" Naruto pouted, rubbing the top of his head "I'm sorry…"

"Damn right you are." She said, taking a bite of her apple. Sasuke smirked. He was also angry at Naruto for being an idiot in class.

Naruto ate his lunch in silence, seemingly deep in thought: quite unusual for him.

"What's next period, Sasuke?" the blonde piped up.

"We both have math."

"Aww nooo!" Naruto whined. "I'm not going."

Sasuke frowned at his small friend. "Yes you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Idiot."

"Bastard."

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto you can't just come late and skip class all the time."

Naruto sat up, trying to look taller. "What's stopping me?" Sasuke sighed again.

Kiba, Sakura and Ino were completely oblivious to Naruto and Sasuke's conversation, as they themselves were deep in a discussion; about who had the prettiest eyes.

"Kiba it can't be you. You're a boy." Ino said.

"Thanks for pointing that out. But boys can have pretty eyes too."

"Yeah, Ino!" Sakura agreed. "Just look at Naruto's eyes, they're the prettiest eyes I've _ever _seen."

The three teens looked at Naruto. Naruto and Sasuke were glaring daggers at each other.

"Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto looked over to Kiba. The three sitting opposite Naruto and Sasuke gasped.

"It's true."

"So pretty."

Naruto looked at them weirdly, Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Your eyes, Naruto." Sakura explained. "They're super pretty."

Naruto blinked. "Uh… Thanks…" He said.

Kiba and the two girls' conversation started up after that, leaving Sasuke and Naruto to theirs.

"Skip with me." Naruto said.

Sasuke looked beside him at the blonde. "What?"

"Skip with me." Naruto repeated.

The bell rang at this moment, and every student's smiles dropped from their faces simultaneously.

"C'mon Sasuke!" Naruto pleaded as Sasuke stood.

"No." Sasuke said to his friend. Naruto's eyes were sad, but he grinned.

"Your loss." The blonde said, grabbing his rucksack and making his way in the opposite direction of the school building. Sasuke sighed, yet again. _I'm going to regret this, _Sasuke thought as he picked up his bag and followed after Naruto.

"Hey Sasuke!" Kiba yelled after them "Where you guys going?!"

Sasuke shrugged, and Kiba got the message.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sasuke strode after Naruto.

"Where are we going, idiot?" the raven growled.

"Awwah Sasuke! You came!" the shorter boy hugged Sasuke, grinning stupidly.

"Yeah, yeah. I came. Now tell me where we're going." He huffed.

"No need to be so grouchy, bastard." Naruto punched the tall boy affectionately. "You hungry?" He asked.

Sasuke sighed.

* * *

"I cannot believe you." Sasuke shook his head. "We just had interval, and you managed to eat all that."

"I get hungry." Naruto smiled, rubbing his full stomach. He yawned, feeling a little sleepy from eating so much. "I must be growing!" He exclaimed.

Sasuke smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair. "In your dreams, shorty." He chuckled.

"I'm NOT short!" Naruto yelled. "You're just freakishly tall!"

Sasuke smiled at his petite little friend. "Yes, that is true." He nodded. "But you are exceptionally short."

Naruto's face went red. "BASTARD!" he yelled, almost jumping over the table to strangle Sasuke.

* * *

"So… we won't be going back there again…" Sasuke said, noting Naruto's blush.

"Sorry…" the blonde said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head: his go-to action for when he'd done something wrong.

"Doesn't bother me. All they sell is Ramen, after all. But you really shouldn't yell such things in public places… Or anywhere for that matter…"

"Mmn…" Naruto nodded. "I get angry pretty quickly…"

"Short fuse, yes." Sasuke agreed.

The pair walked along in silence, ignoring the looks from people noticing their school uniforms. They walked all through town, and along the riverside to the Konoha Fire gardens.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly.

"Mmn."

"You're my best friend…"

"I know."

"So I can tell you anything, right?" Naruto asked, suddenly feeling really scared.

Sasuke looked sideways at him, taking in his expression. "Of course." He replied.

"I think…" Naruto took a deep breath. "I think I might be…" He couldn't get it out.

"You might be what?" Sasuke asked softly, sensing his friend's unease.

"IthinkImightbegay." Naruto blurted out, squeezing his eyes shut and lowering his head, not wanting Sasuke to see his blush, nor see Sasuke's reaction.

"Okay." Sasuke said, stopping beside Naruto, who'd also stopped. Slowly the shorter boy opened his eyes and looked up at Sasuke.

"Okay?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Okay."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, REVIEW! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: **

Okay so I'm was trying to put emphasis on the fact that Naruto is short, and Sasuke is tall... Just cause. Okay :)

**Disclaimer**(for rest of story)**:**

I don't own any of the characters from Naruto, and if I mention anything else, like a brand name or something, we can all assume I don't own that either.

**Warning: **

No need. I don't know how saucy this story could end up though, so I'm stickin' with an M.

* * *

Chapter two: **A Kiss.**

Naruto made Sasuke promise not to tell anyone what he'd said, and the Uchiha agreed, understanding that for the time being Naruto wanted it a secret. There were a few guys at their school who were officially "out", and they weren't ridiculed for that fact but Sasuke respected Naruto's wishes, as any good friend would, and told no one.

Naruto had thought that after telling Sasuke he was gay things would be weird between them, but it was all completely normal, and Naruto was grateful for that. It was on a Saturday, about a month from that day they'd skipped class, that Sasuke laid his bombshell on Naruto.

"I'm gay too." Sasuke said casually, as though it was an answer to something Naruto had said, when in reality the two had been sitting in silence in Sasuke's bedroom for the past two hours. Naruto looked up from the manga he was reading on the end of Sasuke's bed, heart beating faster. _Did I actually hear Sasuke say that?_

"What?"

"I'm gay too." Sasuke repeated. Lowering his own magazine to look at Naruto.

"Since when?" Naruto asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Naruto had confided in Sasuke, that Monday in the park, but he hadn't told him the second part of his secret: He was completely and utterly in love with Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke being gay gave Naruto's fantasies substance, and his heart fluttered in hope.

"Since a while ago." Sasuke replied. "I thought it was really brave, Naruto, that you told me you were." Sasuke said. Then he said something Naruto could hardly hear "_I'd never have told anyone_."

* * *

A month later Naruto decided he wanted to tell his friends that he was gay. He was ready. To his utter happiness, his friends were completely accepting of him, and the only bad feelings anyone gave off were a few of his female friends being disappointed.

"Damn it!" Sakura yelled her tone of voice jokey. "All the best ones are gay!"

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief at Sakura's reaction.

"That's not true!" Ino yelled, grabbing onto Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke's not gay!"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, wondering how he was going to proceed. The raven shrugged Ino off him. All he said was "Hn."

"Wow Naruto," Kiba grinned "I mean, I always suspected you were female because of your height and your pretty eyes…" He laughed. "But you really are a woman!"

Naruto scowled at Kiba. "Being gay doesn't mean I lose any of my masculinity!" He yelled. And then he punched the shaggy-haired boy playfully, accepting that that was Kiba's way of saying he was okay with him being gay.

"N-Naruto…" the shy Hinata stammered. "I'm glad you feel comfortable enough around us all to be yourself."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, missing the expression on Sasuke's face. "Thanks guys!" he yelled. "Who wants to go get Ramen?!"

* * *

"I understand, Sasuke." Naruto said placing a hand on Sasuke's back.

"Naruto I feel so stupid. You're openly gay and no one judges you for it… I don't know why I'm so afraid to tell people."

Naruto rubbed Sasuke's back soothingly. "Don't worry about it, Sasuke." He said. "You're just not ready." He reassured the taller boy.

They were in Sasuke's room, sitting on his bed. School books and mangas and pencils were strewn across the floor and bed: evidence of attempted homework and achieved procrastination.

Sasuke looked at the boy beside him, who'd he'd known for six years (the two of them had been friends since they were ten) and suddenly without realising exactly why he did so, Sasuke was brushing Naruto's spikes of blonde hair from his face behind his ear. He heard Naruto take a sharp intake of breath.

Blushing at the gentle gesture, Naruto looked down, only to have Sasuke pull his head up by his chin so their eyes would meet. Naruto kept looking up at the raven-haired boy towering over him, blue eyes glimmering with hope.

Sasuke leaned down, and their lips met. Naruto's were soft and plump, and their taste was not something Sasuke would soon forget.

"Sasuke." Was all Naruto had to say when they leaned apart and once again looked into each other's eyes.

"Naruto."

* * *

Naruto went home that night, heart ablaze and spirits souring. Sasuke had _kissed _him! And said that he liked it. Naruto had definitely liked the gentle kiss too. He blushed. The boy he was in love with, was his _first _kiss.

"You look awful happy, Naruto. More than usual anyway." Jiraiya, Naruto's uncle, commented at the dinner table.

"You're all aglow." Tsunade, his Aunt, added.

"I had an especially good day today." Naruto grinned at his dinner, thinking of Sasuke's warm lips against his.

"What happened, eh?" Jiraiya asked, stabbing a potato and putting it into his mouth whole.

"Nothing of great importance…" Naruto said, playing with his food and grinning even wider. "Just had my first kiss…"

Tsunade screamed, and hugged Naruto, smothering him with her massive boobs.

"Can't. Breathe." Naruto joked, pushing Tsunade away.

"Naruto, today you have become a man." Jiraiya said seriously. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You say that every time I accomplish something…"

"And it becomes truer every time." Jiraiya said, nodding.

Tsunade sat back down, but she leaned in close to Naruto. "Who was it then?" she asked.

Naruto's smile faded. He played with his food again. "I can't tell you…" He said quietly. "They, uh… Don't want anyone to know yet…"

Tsunade frowned. "Okay… I hope she's treating you right, Nar." Naruto's staunch Aunt folded her arms across her chest. Naruto stood up and took his plate to the sink.

"_He _is!" He called out as he ran to his room, laughing at the stunned silence in the kitchen.

* * *

**Hope you're enjoying this 3 **

**Don't hesitate to review, I love feedback :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:**

I'm getting really into writing this story, so chapters are coming fast. YAY!

* * *

Chapter Three: **A Fear.**

Sasuke didn't know why the thought of people knowing he was gay terrified him so much. Naruto had outed himself months ago and no one hated on him for it, in fact he might've even gotten more popular… That might have been part of Sasuke's problem: he didn't have friends like Naruto did. The blonde was friendly with everyone, and he earned people's respect almost instantly, but Sasuke… Mostly he hated every new person he met, and the only other people apart from Naruto he regarded as friends were practically forced upon him by the socialite blonde. He wasn't like Naruto at all, people didn't form bonds with him quickly. Hell, the only bond he really felt was strong was the one he shared with Naruto… So yes, the Uchiha was afraid. Fearful of the ridicule he might receive from people at school, his friends, even his family. What would his father think of him? His mother?

Naruto seemed fine with Sasuke being in the closet, and they had grown much closer since that first kiss, a lot of their time alone together now spent on exploring each other's mouths and bodies. Sasuke felt as though Naruto might be getting tired of sneaking around, though, always having to be careful that no one finds out about them.

Sasuke rolled over on his bed, reaching for his mobile that was charging on his bedside table. Unplugging it and rolling back to the other side of the bed, he opened his contact list. Scrolling down to Naruto's name, he stared at it for a moment. Then he clicked _compose message._

_Nar, you busy?_

Naruto took a few minutes to reply.

_Nope, wats up? _

Sasuke: _Nothing really. Can you come over?_

Naruto: _Yah, I'll just ask Tsunade. _

Naruto: _She said yes, angrily. _

Sasuke: _Is there another way she could say things?_

Naruto: _Haha no. I'll see you in twenty minutes. _

Sasuke: _Okay. _

Sasuke rolled over again, unable to get comfortable. He always wanted to be with Naruto these days. And the blonde felt the same, he knew that. When they were alone, in either one's bedroom, everything felt right. Sasuke felt right. But out in the open, if Naruto displayed any kind of affection, as innocent or as small a gesture, Sasuke completely freaked out. He was paranoid about anyone finding out he was gay, and it made him feel sick to the stomach at himself. The raven sighed. _Why am I such a wimp?_

* * *

Sasuke ran his tongue along Naruto's bottom lip, relishing the softness and the taste. Nowadays Sasuke found himself eating Ramen a lot more than he used to, liking the way it reminded him of kissing Naruto. The blonde ate so much Ramen his lips always tasted of it.

Naruto shifted beneath Sasuke, getting more comfortable as the taller boy snaked an arm around his waist. Sasuke deepened the kiss, mapping out Naruto's mouth with his tongue, and Naruto felt himself growing hot.

Not missing Naruto's blush and eyes half-lidded looking up at him as he broke the kiss for a breath, Sasuke leaned over the blonde more. Settling in between and pulling Naruto's legs up around his waist, Sasuke smiled. He found himself thinking he really liked being in this position: Naruto beneath him, breathing deeply, legs wrapped around him.

"Sasuke…" Naruto gasped as Sasuke began to pull his orange t-shirt up. He allowed Sasuke to fully take his shirt off, even though his heart was beating faster, fear suddenly pulsating through his body. Sasuke leaned down to nuzzle into Naruto's neck before kissing his pulse. He continued to kiss down the blonde's neck to his collarbone and then his chest. Naruto let out a small whimper. What Sasuke was doing… It felt so good… but…

"Sasuke no." Naruto said, pushing the taller boy off him. "That's enough." He continued, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard.

"I'm sorry…" Sasuke whispered, worried Naruto was properly angry at him. _I went too far… Now he's having second thoughts… _

"Sasuke its okay." Naruto said softly, leaning towards the discouraged Uchiha and kissing him on his cheek. "I'm just… this is all really new to me and…"

Sasuke looked up and gave Naruto a chaste kiss on his lips. "For me as well." He replied.

* * *

"Naruto, we _have _to get you a boyfriend!" Ino exclaimed one lunchtime when the conversation of the group was at a standstill. "You're just too hot to be single." Naruto looked sideways over at Sasuke, who appeared to not be listening.

"Why me?" Naruto asked "You don't have a boyfriend either, Ino." Naruto pointed at her.

"B-b-but…" she stammered "Sasuke won't agree to go out with me… and there's no one else I want." She whined.

"Me too." Naruto said. He saw Sasuke stiffen.

"Stupid Naruto, Sasuke isn't gay!" Ino laughed.

"Mmn." Naruto agreed. "I guess not."

Ino didn't notice the sadness in Naruto's voice, but Sasuke did. He stood up, grabbing his bag, and walked away.

"Hey Sasuke!" Kiba yelled after him. "Where you going?!" Sasuke ignored him.

Beside Naruto Shikamaru frowned. "Is he okay, Naruto?" he said lazily, half-concerned, half-bored.

"Yeah, he's been really weird lately…" Sakura said.

"Mmn, almost sorta… twitchy…" Kiba included.

Naruto stood up, slamming his hands down on the table top. "Why the hell would I know?!" he yelled, grabbing his own bag and stalking off in the opposite direction Sasuke had gone.

"Jeeze…" Chouji said, crunching on some crisps "That was a slight overreaction…"

"Hmmn." Shikamaru leaned his head on one hand, watching Naruto storm away angrily. "Troublesome. Very troublesome."

"Is that all you have to say?!" Ino yelled, smacking Shikamaru on the top of his head. "We all got that part ourselves! What you should be saying is 'I wonder how we can help them.'!"

* * *

At the back of the school Sasuke sat thinking about Naruto. He'd heard the hurt in his voice, and he knew how to fix that hurt. But he was just too afraid. There were some really narrow-minded people at his school, and they would judge him for sure. They'd ridicule him and embarrass him, and possibly even be mean to Naruto for being with him. God, how he wanted to be with Naruto! As a couple. Out of the closet together.

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his eyes, disappointed and angry at himself for being so cowardly and weak.

A tear slid down his cheek.

* * *

"Hey! Hey wait up!" A pale boy with dark hair ran up behind Naruto. Catching up to him, the boy began to walk alongside him. "You are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"

"That's me." Naruto said slowing his walk down before stopping, confused as to why this guy was talking to him. Naruto looked closely at the boy. He recognised his face, but didn't have him in any of his classes so he guessed the boy was a year above him.

The boy smiled cutely down at Naruto. (Everyone has to look down at him because he's so short.)

"I'm Sai." The pale guy said, holding his hand out for Naruto to shake.

"Interesting name: Sai." Naruto commented, smiling back at him and shaking his hand, which was surprisingly soft.

"Interesting name: Naruto." Sai retorted. Naruto laughed.

"So I was wondering…" Sai said, suddenly looking shy. "I know we don't know each other…" He grinned. "But I thought you seemed cool, and I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me."

Naruto took a sharp breath, questioning himself if he'd really heard Sai say that. He searched the dark-haired teen's face for clues, and didn't find any. He saw a bit of what he thought was hope in Sai's eyes. Naruto bit the inside of his lip.

"Well?" Sai asked.

"Well what?" Naruto said.

"Do you. Want to go on a date. With me?" Sai asked. Naruto breathed out a sigh, relieved that Sai had repeated it and that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. Someone actually wanted to go out with him! And they weren't afraid or embarrassed!

Naruto looked up, blushing a little at the proximity of Sai. The guy was actually really quite good looking. Naruto smiled.

"Yeah." He said "It'll be fun."

"Great!" Sai exclaimed handing Naruto a little piece of paper. "Here's my number." He told the blonde before walking off.

_I just got asked out! _Naruto felt like he could jump seven feet in the air. _**I**__ just got asked __**out**__!_

* * *

**OOOHH! Sasuke you better gets yo act together or yo gonna lose yo man! **

**Review! Follow! Etc... **

**Hope you're enjoying my word-weaving XOX**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: **

Last chapter before the end of my holidays :( It is a sad day indeed for me. Don't worry, this doesn't mean I'll stop writing... I rather this to homework so... I am foreseeing a term of late assignments and angry teachers, but hopefully very happy readers ;)

**Warning: **

Ugh, I'll tell you if there's any dodgy stuff, otherwise just... assume there's nothing.

* * *

Chapter Four: **A Chat. **

Sasuke and Naruto walked home together after school. Neither boy said anything, nor knew what to say, from the moment they met outside the school gate. They were silent for the entire twenty minutes it took them to arrive at the corner at which Naruto's house was left and Sasuke's was right. Usually when the got here they would stand and continue talking for a few minutes until one invited the other to their house; today, however, was different.

The two boys stood there on the corner, out of habit, and because both had important things to say. Neither knew how to begin though.

Sasuke waited, scrutinising Naruto's face. The blonde looked as if he had something to say, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"I got asked out today." Naruto said quietly, looking up at Sasuke's indifferent expression. He didn't bat an eyelash at Naruto's comment, nor did he reply. Naruto got asked out all the time by girls, it was no biggy. "By a guy." Naruto added.

"What?" Sasuke's sudden intake of breath was not missed by Naruto and the blonde looked down.

"He's called Sai. I think he's a year above us." Naruto fiddled awkwardly with the straps of his rucksack.

"What did you say to him?" Sasuke asked, his voice quiet and detached.

Naruto didn't respond for a bit, but when he did he looked up at Sasuke, his voice was louder and confident. "I said it sounded like it would be fun: going out with someone." He frowned a little "In public. Where everyone can see you." Naruto's eyes challenged Sasuke.

Sasuke felt as though Naruto had stabbed a metal rod right through his chest. Those words, they cut deep, and what made it worse was that Naruto had the right to say them. He had apt reasons for being angry at Sasuke. Sasuke was a coward who didn't deserve the fun, lively little blonde. Naruto deserved someone who wasn't embarrassed to be seen with him; someone who would hug him and kiss him and flaunt him in public; someone unafraid to be himself.

"Naruto…" Sasuke began.

Naruto looked guilty. "Sasuke, I'm sorry. I know you're not ready to tell anyone. I shouldn't have said that." The shorter boy wrung his wrists in worry. _Why did I say that?! Its kind of annoying being Sasuke's dirty little secret… but I should be more supportive. It was hard for me to tell people, why should I expect it to be easier for him? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

"Naruto. It's okay. I am a coward, and I don't deserve you." Sasuke turned and started to walk away.

Naruto grabbed his arm. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke shook out of Naruto's grip. Without turning around, or even offering any kind of goodbye, Sasuke sauntered away, leaving Naruto standing on the corner with an empty feeling inside.

* * *

There was no one Naruto could talk to, not without giving away Sasuke's secret. His friends would only be trouble to confide in: all they'd want to hear about would be the identity of Naruto's boyfriend. Was that even what Sasuke was? Both Tsunade and Jiraiya would probably guess who it was…

_Ugh! _Naruto sighed and grabbed his mobile from his pocket, perplexed when a small piece of paper fell onto the floor as he did so. Curious, he bent down to pick it up. _Sai's number. Hmm… He gave it to me, so he _must _want me to text him. _

He entered Sai's number into his contact list and pressed _compose message. _

Naruto: _Hey, it's Naruto. _

Sai replied almost immediately.

Sai: _Hey, been waiting for a text from you. _

Naruto: _Ever since you gave your number to me, huh? _

Sai: _Of course, I've been anxious all day._

Naruto: _We only just met and already I'm all that's on your mind. Damn I'm good._

Sai: _Damn would be correct. Damn fine._

Naruto blinked. Did Sai think he was hot?

Naruto: _Um… when we going out? And where? _

Sai: _After school tomorrow, we go into to town? Maybe go to a movie?_

Naruto: _Sounds great :)_

They texted until Tsunade yelled at Naruto to get off his phone and come have dinner. After dinner he had a text from Sasuke.

Sasuke: _Hey. _

Naruto didn't reply.

* * *

Narrow-minded was how Sasuke would describe his father, Fugaku. There was no way he would ever accept Sasuke being gay.

Submissive was how Sasuke would describe his mother. She was a quiet woman, never one to voice her opinions. She always agreed with Sasuke's father and did what she was told to do. Talking to her would be pointless; she was putty in Fugaku's hands, a sponge that absorbed information which he could wring out at any time. Sasuke had no choice but to go to his older brother, Itachi, for help. If Sasuke was being honest, there was nothing he could think of that would properly describe Itachi. He and his brother didn't really have conversations, nor did they spend any time with each other excepting for at dinner time. Itachi even was more of a broody social-introvert that Sasuke, which is saying something. But for once in Sasuke's life, he actually felt like talking to someone. He was drowning in thoughts and guilt and self-hatred; talking to weirdo Itachi was better than facing all that.

"What?" Itachi's voice was cold, drenched with a passive anger that sent chills up Sasuke's spine.

"Can I come in?" Sasuke asked the door, not wanting to open it in case Itachi murdered him for invading his private space.

Itachi sat for a moment in his room, confused as to the reason his little brother was asking for entrance. Sasuke _never _went in his room, and he _never ever_ willingly came to talk to him, assuming that's what he was doing now.

"Enter."

Sasuke pushed open the door, taking in Itachi's nicely-arranged-if-not-a-bit-gothic bedroom. Itachi was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall with his computer on his lap.

"Brother." Itachi said, whether he meant it as a greeting, a question or if he was merely commenting Sasuke couldn't tell.

"I want to talk." Sasuke said, walking over to Itachi's desk and sitting down on his chair.  
"Talk?" Itachi raised an eyebrow. "This about your boyfriend troubles?"

Sasuke's eyes widened comically and he spluttered. "W-wha- B-b-but- Y-you-"

"I'm not an idiot, Sasuke." Smirking at Sasuke he added "Unlike our parents."

"And here I thought I was being really clever at hiding my sexuality." Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowing.

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You too were hardly quiet. You may not have done anything serious yet… but boy that blonde sounded as though he was enjoying whatever you guys _did _do."

Sasuke's face now resembled a ripe tomato, and Itachi's amused expression was making it worse.

"That's none of your business." Sasuke growled dangerously, death-glare trained on Itachi.

"Of course not. I'm just nosy." His attention went to his laptop. "And my room _is _right beside yours… What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked, typing something and then clicking.

Sasuke scowled. He didn't feel like talking anymore. "Hn." He stood to leave.

"No you don't." Itachi tutted. "This is probably the most we've ever spoken to one another. Stay a while."

Sasuke huffed and sat back down. Itachi kept doing stuff on his laptop.

Suddenly a wave of social nausea swept over Sasuke and up came the words like vomit. "Naruto told everyone he's gay, but I'm too afraid to, and its hurting Naruto's feelings, and he got asked out by another guy today, an older guy, probably cooler than me, and Naruto's going to go on a date with him, I can hardly ask him not to can I? And I'm worried that I'm going to lose Naruto, and dammit I think I love him!"

Itachi looked up from his laptop. "Why can't you ask Naruto not to go on a date with that guy?" he asked calmly, as though Sasuke's sudden outburst was completely normal.

Sasuke sighed. "He's not my boyfriend, is he? I'm too much of a coward to be seen with him that way, so I can't exactly ask him to not see other people when we aren't _technically _seeing each other."

"Get over yourself, Sasuke." Itachi said, with no sympathy whatsoever. "There's nothing wrong with being gay. Why are you so afraid?"

"I'm afraid of being ridiculed…" Sasuke said quietly. "Of being judged…"

Itachi's expression softened. "Sasuke, don't be scared to be yourself. Don't be embarrassed by your identity, _own _it."  
"How?" the younger boy's voice wavered.

Itachi quirked his head. Usually his brother was so stoic, never showing emotions. Usually his brother didn't seem so… fragile. "I don't know, Sasuke." Itachi sighed. "The first step would be to ask Naruto to be your boyfriend. You don't even have to tell your friends you are gay. Just act as you would around your boyfriend, and they'll figure it out."

Sasuke looked at Itachi. His advice was surprisingly good. The way he said it made it seem so simple; so easy. Was it really though?

"I suppose… that's a good idea…" Sasuke got up and walked over to the door.

"Sasuke," Itachi said as his brother opened the door. Sasuke turned back to look at him. "you're an Uchiha. The one thing we never lose is pride. Where's yours?"

Sasuke said nothing as he left the room. He stared in wonder at his brother's closed door though: Itachi had been so… casual about it all. Shaking his head in disbelief, Sasuke walked back to his room, typing a text to Naruto as he did.

Sasuke: _Hey._

There was no reply.

* * *

**Awwwah nooo! Naruto that's just RUDE! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **

When I say in this chapter "You just can't get annoyed when little people are angry" (cause they're so cute) I dedicate this line to my little friends (meaning they're lil shorties), who I can't help but die from laughter when they're angry. Not meaning small people can't be terrifying, gosh I _know _they can be. Especially in Netball games. The little ones are usually the feisty, fast ones you have to watch out for. *Shudder*

Enjoy the show! ;)

**Warning: **

You know I'll tell you if anything 'riskaay' is gonna happen.

* * *

Chapter Five: **A Little Too Late.**

Naruto was, by nature, a loud kind of person. Whether he was excited, happy, hungry or whatever, his volume would always be turned right the way up; _especially_ when he was angry. In a way Sasuke actually _liked _Naruto's tendency for massive outbursts when he was angry, they were almost cute because he's so little – you just can't get annoyed when little people are angry – but today Sasuke was frightened. Not frightened because Naruto was yelling at him or getting prepared to attack, no, Sasuke was frightened because Naruto was being _quiet._

Sasuke didn't know how to handle this. Never in the entire time they'd been friends had Naruto given him the silent treatment. Sure they'd had fights, more than Sasuke would care to remember, but the blonde had always run in, guns a blazing, with a battle cry that could wake the dead. This quiet Naruto, who sat in silence, anger festering, was terrifying.

Class ended and Sasuke got up to leave, glancing at his mute friend, whose expression was blank. He waited outside the door for Naruto, as he always did, but the shorter boy showed no signs of recognition as he exited Room 16 and joined the bustling corridors. Naruto's obvious disregard for him was freaking Sasuke out. _Why was the blonde so angry? He must be angrier than he's ever been before, for him to suddenly go quiet like this… _

Sasuke decided he would talk to Naruto after school today. He would ask Naruto to be his boyfriend and everything would be good between them. Nodding to himself, he followed the shock of bright hair making its way to the next class.

* * *

Naruto _was _angry at Sasuke. He was angry at himself too, but that wasn't the main reason he'd spent the whole of period one in silence. In truth, he was feeling giddy. Sai and he were going on a date after school that very day and he was looking forward to it. I suppose you could class it as his first date, although he'd had a few "girlfriends" at primary school, which mainly meant they walked around with him in tow, showing him off to their friends and demanding sweets from him. Naruto laughed a little to himself, thinking how strange it would be if Sai was only asking him out so he would buy him candy.

Next period was Social Studies, and Sasuke swore Orochimaru almost had a heart attack when Naruto didn't disrupt his class.

"A-are you feeling alright, Uzumaki?" the pale man asked, a little afraid of this strange boy who was seemingly impersonating the usually-disrespectful student.

"Fine, sir." Naruto replied, voice neither happy nor sad. Sasuke frowned.

"Uh… Okay… Right, where was I?" Taking one last, very confused, look at Naruto Orochimaru turned his back to the class and continued what he'd been writing on the whiteboard.

* * *

Kiba walked alongside Naruto, waiting for the 'Man I hate Social Studies' comments. They never came.

"Hey man," Kiba said eyes narrowing as Naruto approached his own locker. _Naruto never gets his books. _"I'm sorta beginning to see why Mr. Sannin thought you were sick… What's up with you?"

Naruto looked over Kiba's shoulder, spying Sasuke exiting the building for interval. He focused on Kiba's face and smiled. "I have a date today." He said, reaching for an orange-covered exercise book.

"That's great, man." Kiba said, sounding genuinely happy for Naruto. "But uh…" his tone became more serious. "That doesn't explain why you're all quiet and…" He pointed to the book in Naruto's hand. "What's up with you actually bothering to get your books?"

Naruto looked at the book in his own hand in surprise, almost as though he hadn't realised he'd retrieved it. "I uh…" He laughed. "I guess I just forgot to be a bad student today." Kiba chuckled.

Walking outside together Naruto mumbled "Plus, the bastard and I are having a wee fight."

Kiba grinned and slapped Naruto's back. "You guys will sort it out!" He said enthusiastically. "You always do!"

* * *

Interval was awkward to say the least. The rest of the group didn't feel it, but the atmosphere was suffocating Naruto and Sasuke. After about ten minutes Naruto decided to say something; anything. The tension between them was unbearable.

Naruto blurted out the first thing that came into his mind. "I had curry for dinner last night." He mentally face-palmed at his own stupidity. _I had curry for dinner last night?! I had CURRY for dinner last night?! Who says things like that?! _

Sasuke stared at him, relieved at the broken silence, if not a bit confused at the subject Naruto chose to break it.

"I had Sushi." Sasuke replied.

That was the end of the conversation. Naruto didn't know how to continue from that, unless he started talking about the curry and… _No way! That is uber lame. _Naruto thought.I'm_ uber lame. Who the hell starts a conversation with "I had curry for dinner last night."? _

* * *

The rest of the school day was pretty normal. Naruto and Sasuke had no other classes together that day, and so most weird moments were successfully avoided. They had another strange, two-sentence conversation at lunch, which Sasuke had initiated this time, but apart from that it was an average day.

The moment the bell rang for the end of school Sasuke raced out of the school building to catch Naruto. He saw the blonde heading for the front gate and hurried after him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out to him. Naruto turned, hearing his name being called. Sasuke swore he saw what almost was a smile flit was across his face when he saw who it was.

"Hey Naruto." Sasuke said as he reached the blonde, noting that even if he had seen a little bit of emotion from him, it was long gone.

"Sasuke." Naruto said.

"I, uh… really need to talk to you." _I love you, _Sasuke added in his mind.

An expression Sasuke couldn't identify flew across Naruto's face. "Hmmn?" He mumbled, looking around behind Sasuke and then behind himself.

"Naruto." Sasuke said impatiently. The blonde seemed distracted.

Naruto glanced back at Sasuke for a moment and then his attention was grabbed by something behind the raven.

"Naruto!" Someone yelled. Naruto's face lit up. Sasuke turned to look behind him. A guy about the same height as him, a little less handsome but more cute, came up to them and draped an arm around Naruto's shoulder lazily.

"Hey Sai." Naruto said, a little blush showing on his cheeks. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

The three of them stood without talking for a couple of moments before Naruto realised Sasuke was there and introduced the two dark-haired guys to each other.

"Nice to meet you, Sasuke." Sai said, his eyes turning into upside down 'u's as he smiled at the Uchiha.

"Ditto." Sasuke gritted out. He didn't like the way Sai was touching Naruto so casually, and he most certainly did not like the way Naruto seemed to like it.

"Well, erm, Sasuke… I'll talk to you later…" Naruto said, fidgeting.

"Sure." Sasuke replied coldly, shoving his hands into his pockets and balling them into fists.

"Well again," Sai said "It was nice to meet you." He smiled once more at Sasuke before sweeping Naruto away.

Naruto glanced back just once before they left the school grounds, and he saw Sasuke standing in the same spot they'd left him in, staring straight ahead.

* * *

**If my friend Hannah ever finds this story: Hey Hanny, I hope you aren't disappointed in me, and I hope that despite the yaoi of my story you are enjoying it ;) Don't judge me!**

**For my brilliant readers and reviewers, I also hope you are enjoying the story and I _know _none of you will judge me. (well at least, not too harshly).**

**Over and Out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **

Hopefully this chapter is alright... Writing late at night isn't always a good idea...

Next chap will be Sai and Naruto's date, EXCITING...

Enjoy

Oh wait... this chapter: it goes back in time a little bit, hopefully my writing is good enough that you'd get that, but just in case you didn't...

* * *

Chapter Six: **A Caring Brother **(I'm getting kinda annoyed with these titles that have to start with 'A', but I've done it in all the other chapters...)

_Room 27d. Senior Art Class. 3:09 P.M _

"Your display boards are due in on the first week of next term. That is almost five weeks," the silver-haired teacher peered at the class over the edge of the novel in his hand. He crossed his ankles on his desk. "I suggest you use this time wisely." He warned, leaning further back in his chair and returning to his reading

"Sir!" a long-haired blonde sitting in the second row of art benches, with a hacked fringe that covered half his face, called out. Abruptly he stood up, demanding attention from the teacher, black scuffed jeans jangling with chains and the purple shreds that could hardly be classified as a shirt threatening to come loose from the millions of safety pins holding them together.

"Ah, Deidara." Kakashi said as though he had expected this response. He lowered his book once again, observing the eccentric blonde boy. "You contest?"

"Kakashi, sir, mister!" Deidara slammed his hands down on his bench, causing Itachi, who was sitting beside him, to flinch slightly. "My art cannot be confined to the mediocre _prison_," He spat out the word "that is your two-dimensional '_display boards_', yeah!" The punk then picked up a piece of paper from in front of him and folded it with practiced precision into a paper plane and then proceeded to launch in across the class to Kakashi. With what may have been luck, but Deidara would claim as skill, the paper plane flew directly into Kakashi's spikes of silver hair, nestling itself in.

The man wore a mask over the majority of his face, but from his eyes the class could tell he was amused as he removed the plane from where it had crash-landed in his hair. He unfolded the piece of paper. A single word was written there, in Deidara's bold and chaotic handwriting: BANG!

"As usual, Deidara, you make my life more complicated," he took his feet down from his desk and leaned forward to get a pen. "But this _is_ art, and so freedom of expression is a given." Kakashi scribbled something on the paper and folded it into a different shaped plane. He threw it back to the blonde, who was still standing in protest.

It sailed lazily over the first row of benches, and there were some 'oooh's and 'wooah's from the other students as the paper plane landed on the bench right in front of Deidara.

"Shit, nice aim sir!" someone yelled out.

Deidara unfolded the plane and written above his "BANG" in Kakashi's chicken-scrawl were the words "Art is a". A blonde eyebrow was raised. "Art is a bang?"

Kakashi ignored the question, just yawned dramatically and said "Do what you want, Deidara, but keep in mind that this assignment counts for half of your credits for the year." Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, knowing fully well that underneath all that hair, Deidara was an exceptional artist with incredible talent.

Deidara sat down, half surprised, half weirded out. "Uh…"

Kakashi sprang up from his seat, observing the clock on the wall behind him. _3:11 P.M_

"That concludes the lesson. Bell rings in four minutes. I can trust that you will leave my classroom _reasonably _tidy…" Kakashi said, although he sounded doubtful. "I'll see you third period tomorrow. Bye bye." He said cheerily, his eyes upside down 'u's as he sidled out of the classroom.

* * *

Room 27d cleared out as soon as the bell rang at three fifteen. Itachi and Deidara remained as the blonde freak wanted to get started on his project.

Itachi sighed as Deidara walked over to the bench against the wall and started pulling out massive sheets of paper. "We have _five _weeks, Dei. _Five. _Can't we just go?" Itachi asked in a bored tone.

"I have inspiration. We must stay."

Itachi sighed.

"Just do some techy junk on your laptop until I'm finished, yeah." Deidara said, crouching down by a cupboard and rifling through it.

"Techy junk. Right." Itachi said, walking over to the old sofa at the back of the room. Sitting down he got out his laptop.

* * *

"Are you done yet?" Itachi asked, typing like a super-nerd-pro on his laptop.

Deidara flicked an origami crane off the art bench. "I finished like an hour ago, yeah."

Itachi's eyebrow twitched. He looked up at Deidara sitting on the bench by the window, a pile of origami cranes surrounding him. "You do realize I've been sitting here_ waiting_ for _you _this entire time, don't you?" his voice held a cold threat, but Deidara ignored it.

"I've just been watching your little bro." He replied. Itachi sat up immediately, closing his laptop.

"Sasuke?"

"Mmn. He's been standing out there by the gate for half an hour, yeah. Try'na figure out what he's doing." By now Itachi had walked over to the window and was also staring at Sasuke out at the front gate.

"That's strange. He's usually home by now…"

Deidara yawned. "He was talking to this blonde chick, and then some dude came over, draped himself all over her, and the three o' them talked for a bit, then the chick an' the other dude left. And your bro's just bin, ya know, standing there, yeah."

The blonde sitting at the window was waiting for a response, but it never came. He looked over back, expecting Itachi to still be standing beside him, and saw the raven's long hair swirling around the door as he turned left into the hallway.

"'Tachi!" he whined, jumping of the bench and grabbing his satchel. "Wait up!" He swept the pile of cranes into his bag, not bothering to pick up the ones that fell to the floor, and ran after Itachi.

* * *

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned around, recognizing his brother's voice. Itachi was there, bag slung casually over one shoulder, and a blonde rocking a sort of punk/hobo look running after him. He momentarily forgot Naruto as he realized that this was the first time he'd actually seen Itachi at school.

"I almost forgot you went to Konoha College." Sasuke said blandly.

Itachi looked at him weirdly. "My friends and I don't tend to go outside at lunch." Deidara arrived beside Itachi, puffing slightly even from running that short distance.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "I can see why."

Itachi smirked, and then remembered why he was out here in the first place. "What are you doing Sasuke?"

Sasuke grimaced. "I was just about to leave."

Deidara raised an eyebrow and looked at Sasuke in an 'mmhmm suuure you were' kind of way. "You've been standing out here since ever since that blonde chick and that guy left."

"And?" Sasuke glared. "What of it?"

"I dunno…" Deidara said "I guess its just slightly odd that they left like an hour ago and you've been standing in that same spot, staring into space, yeah."

Itachi frowned. "Was it Naruto?"

Sasuke was taken by surprise at that comment. Why did Itachi have to be so goddamn smart? "It was."

"And the guy. Was he the one who asked him out?"

"He may have been."

"Wait hold up! That blonde was a dude?!" Deidara exploded. "Aww Itachi! Your brother is gay and you never told me!" Deidara looked Sasuke up and down. "He's uber hot!" the blonde pouted. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"Deidara you astound me with both your inappropriate comments and your poor timing." Itachi gestured to Sasuke who looked like he was halfway between bursting into tears and running from the hack-haired blonde eye-raping him. "Let's go Sasuke." Itachi said, tugging Sasuke's sleeve to make him walk.

"EHH?!" Deidara yelled. "You're leaving me?!"

"Idiot," Itachi turned to glare at Deidara. "You're driving us home." It wasn't a question, nor was it a suggestion; it was an _Uchiha _command.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chap. Next chap will be juicier. Will Naruto like Sai's company? or will the date go horribly wrong? **

**DUN DUN DUN**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **

Don't kill me people. I have tried my best, and I'm sorry if this chapter is a piece of dog crap. Deal with it. I have spent a good chunk of my day writing this, trying to push my writer's block and intense headache away. So you guys better be grateful. Or I shall cry.

ENJOY :)

* * *

Chapter Seven: **A Date.**

For the twenty minutes it took for them to walk from school into town Naruto didn't say a word. The expression he'd seen on Sasuke's face as he left with Sai was confusing. Was he angry? Jealous perhaps? Naruto didn't know, but he pondered over it in silence and Sai was beginning to feel uncomfortable – which happened _very_ rarely.

"Naruto, is something bothering you?" Sai asked as they walked past the pizza bar.

Naruto snapped out of his daze. "Huh? Oh sorry." He scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Was just thinking 'bout something…" the blonde waited for the snarky 'don't hurt yourself' remark until he realized that he wasn't with Sasuke.

"Okay." Sai smiled cheerily. "Are you hungry? We could get something to eat then I thought we could go to a movie."

All thoughts of Sasuke were forgotten at the mention of food. "Mmn." Naruto nodded seriously. "I'm _starving_!"

"Where do you wanna go? My shout."

Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to Sai. "REALLY?" He squealed. Sai laughed. The blonde's childish mood swings were interesting.

"Yeah, the guy always pays on the first date." Sai replied with a smile, looking down at the little blonde peering up at him. He wondered what sort of reaction that would draw out from Naruto.

Naruto spluttered, his face turning red. "The guy?!" He yelled. "Who says _you _get to be the guy?!"

Sai laughed. _He's even cuter when he's angry. _"I apologize. How about, I'm older so I'll pay?" Sai said.

Naruto's anger dissipated and he grinned, not needing much convincing. He yelled "Yeah!" and they walked around, trying to find somewhere that looked nice. Sai noticed that anywhere that sold Ramen caught Naruto's attention.

"How 'bout here? All they sell is Ramen." The taller boy asked.

Naruto blushed slightly. "I uh… let's find another place."

"Why?"

"I got kicked out of here a while ago; I don't think the owner has forgotten." He pointed meekly through the window to a small picture on the far wall. A picture of himself and underneath Sai could see the words 'Do not serve this boy'.

Sai started laughing. Naruto frowned. "It's not funny." He whined. "They have probably the best Ramen in town, and I'm not allowed to go there 'cause it's a 'family restaurant' and my language is 'unacceptable'." Naruto made quotation marks with his fingers as he said this, and it made Sai laugh even more.

Finding Sai's laughter infectious, Naruto started laughing too. He still whined "shut up" and "it's not funny" but now he was losing it too. They moved away from the restaurant when the owner came to the front and gave them a warning look through the window.

"Naruto you are an interesting specimen." Sai said when they both calmed down; the fondness in his voice made Naruto blush. _Jeeze, _he thought, _what's wrong with me. I keep blushing like this and I really _will _be the girl in the relationship._

Sai said many other things like that once they found a place to eat. It was as if he said whatever came into his head without feeling any shame whatsoever.

"Your hair is like spun gold, Naruto." Sai said, reaching over the table to touch Naruto's blonde locks. By now, Sai had already said a mother-load of shit like this, which had caused Naruto to choke several times, so this time Naruto remembered _not_ to inhale his food.

"I get that a lot." He replied in mock-bragging.

Sai frowned, pulling his hand back from Naruto's hair. "I'm sure. You _are _a very sought after guy."

Naruto had to laugh at Sai's expression. "I was joking." He teased.

"I knew that…" Sai smiled.

* * *

Deidara drove like a kitten on crack. Itachi was used to the blonde's sharp turns and sudden stops, so he no longer feared for his life, but Sasuke was beyond fear.

"What the fuck man?!" He half-yelled, half-squealed. "You almost hit that truck! Stop this fucking car, I'm walking!"

Deidara turned and looked at Sasuke in the back seat, removing his hands from the steering wheel. In the passenger seat, Itachi calmly leaned over and steered the car.

"I didn't hit the truck. We aren't dead. So stop your fucking screaming, yeah." Deidara turned back and took a hold of the steering wheel again. Itachi leaned back in his seat.

"We aren't dead _yet." _Sasuke muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and slouching.

* * *

"Hmm… This one has really good reviews, according to Sasuke… but _this_ one's about ninjas…" Naruto said pointing at two posters on the 'now showing' wall in the cinema.

"I'm fine with either." Sai said. "I'll probably be watching you more than the movie."

Naruto looked sideways at him. "That was… honest, and almost a bit creepy."

"You have a lot of expressions. I like them." Sai stated simply. That made Naruto's heart flutter. Sai's never-ending train of compliments was nice, even if some of them were a bit strange.

"I like your weirdness." Naruto replied.

* * *

Arriving back at the Uchiha household, Sasuke had stormed to his room, closely followed by Itachi and Deidara. Despite his protests and claims that all he wanted was to be alone, the two older boys barged in and refused to leave.

Deidara, having no respect for privacy began rifling through Sasuke's desk and bookshelf.

Itachi shook his head when Sasuke yelled "Leave my stuff alone!" as though to say 'Just give up, brother. It's no use.'

Itachi started asking Sasuke questions about this afternoon, to which the younger brother replied with either a 'hn' or a grunt.

"We are here to help you Sasuke." Deidara said creepily. "Let us help you."

Sasuke groaned and fell back on his bed, pulling a pillow over his face, mumbling "Leave me alooone" into it.

Itachi sat on the end of the bed. "I have decided to help you, Sasuke. Partially because this is my last year of college and partially because I like being involved in other people's business."

Sasuke sat up. "Help me with what?"

"Getting Naruto back, obviously. It shouldn't be too hard, if we act quickly…" Itachi mused, watching Deidara demolish Sasuke's neat book arrangement. The blonde looked over to them.

"It all depends on how this first date goes." Deidara stated dropping a pile of mangas onto the floor. "Ugh, Sasuke you are _incredibly _good at hiding your porn." he whined as he pulled the remaining books out of their shelves and let them fall onto the pile on the ground.

Sasuke didn't grace Deidara with a response.

"Who said Naruto wasn't mine?"

Itachi looked at him, an expression that read 'are you serious?' and then reached into his computer bag and pulled out his laptop. "Okay," he said opening the lid "What do we know about this guy?"

Sasuke sighed. _What harm could this do?_ "Naruto said his name was Sai and that he thinks he's a year above us."

Itachi looked over to Sasuke. "He thinks?"

"Mmn. I've never met him until today. I doubt Naruto had either, until he asked him out I mean."

Deidara looked up again. "Sai did you say?!" burst out of his mouth.

"Yeah." Sasuke replied.

"I know him! He's a year below us, 'Tachi!" Deidara yelled, getting excited. He leapt over to the bed to join them. "He's fucking brilliant, yeah. Really smart and although it pains me to admit it, he's pretty good at art as well."

Sasuke groaned and lay back again.

"Nice, Dei. Being delicate is another one of your many outstanding skills." Itachi said sarcastically, and then in a softer tone "Don't let it bother you Sasuke. One date doesn't mean they're together."

"Can you guys just get out." Sasuke said, rolling over so his back was to Itachi.

"Sasuke..." Itachi said.

Quietly Sasuke replied "We can have this little meeting another time. I just want to be alone right now."

"Fair enough, yeah." Deidara said, exiting the room. Itachi followed, closing Sasuke's door behind him.

Sasuke rolled onto his stomach, buried his face in a pillow and screamed.

* * *

As promised Sai spent the majority of the film staring at Naruto. At first Naruto had found it kind of weird, but once he got into the ninja action he forgot about it.

Sai found Naruto completely fascinating; he had for a while, in fact, although he and the blonde hadn't officially met until a few days ago. The boy had so many expressions and reacted differently to things than other people Sai knew. It was intoxicating to watch and also to be the reason for him reacting.

Halfway through the movie Sai wrapped his arm around the back of Naruto's shoulders and pulled the blonde closer to him. Naruto was thankful for the dark of the theater to mask his red face. His palms began to sweat and he could no longer focus on the plot of the movie.

Every so often Sai would brush his hand down Naruto's arm, or trace spirals on his shoulder. As awkward as it felt having Sai's arm around him, Naruto also found it strangely nice. He could see a few other couples in similar positions throughout the theater, and he realized he and Sai were just like them: normal.

At a more mellow part of the movie Naruto ignored his embarrassment and racing heart and snuggled in closer to Sai. To his relief, Sai remained relaxed and even rested his head on top of Naruto's.

Several fears were flitting through Naruto's mind, and they wouldn't leave him alone.

Fear One: _I hope I don't smell of B.O. I had a shower this morning, but I'm wearing the same clothes I wore to school. Oh god! What if he's gagging right now and he's just too polite to remove his arm from around me!_

Fear Two: _I don't know what the end of a date is supposed to be like! He said we'd walk back to the school and he can drive me home, but am I supposed to kiss him? Will he walk me to my door? And then what if I make a move to kiss him but he doesn't want it? Ugh!_

Fear Three: _This would be the worse time to fart. Omigod, if I fart right now I seriously will die. Sai will think I'm gross... and even if he doesn't, _I'll _think _he_ is because _not _thinking someone is gross when they fart in public is gross._

There were many more scratching inside Naruto's skull, all saying 'Pay attention to me. Fear me. Notice me. Worry about _me._', most of them hygiene-related fears.

The movie ended and Naruto relaxed a little after Sai removed his arm from around his shoulders, but then the realization that soon the date was going to end and the infamous do-I-kiss-or-don't-I moment was growing near.

It was about seven, and since it was autumn it was already getting dark.

"Did you enjoy the movie?" Sai asked, grabbing a hold of Naruto's hand and lacing their fingers together as they began to walk.

"Best. Movie. Ever." Naruto replied adding in his head _the bits I can remember anyway... _

"It was equally enjoyable for me." Sai said softly. Naruto blushed, recalling that Sai had looked at the movie screen once, maybe twice, the rest of the time had been spent observing Naruto's face.

They got to Sai's car, which was parked down the road from their school. They hadn't even considered taking it into town because the traffic after school is always terrible, and it's even worse trying to find a parking spot at that time.

Sai's car was an old beat-up thing, which had various forms of graffiti on the inside and the outside. The back seat was engulfed in a mountain of papers, many with drawings on them. Somehow Naruto found the car suited Sai, although he didn't see the older boy as a particularly messy person. The clutter was welcome though, Naruto being a messy person himself.

Sai asked where Naruto lived and Naruto gave him instructions. They chatted with ease as Sai drove.

"Here it is." Naruto said when they reached his house. "Home sweet home."

"I'll walk you to your door." Sai said, parking the car. Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

_Do I kiss him? Don't I kiss him? _

Sai got out and ran to the other side of the car, opening Naruto's door for him.

_Do I kiss him? Don't I kiss him? _

They walked up the path in silence.

_Do I kiss him? Don't I kiss him? _

Naruto's heart was pounding in his ears as the walked up the steps to the porch and paused in front of the door.

_Do I kiss him? Don't I- _

Sai leaned forward and kissed Naruto sweetly on the lips. Naruto would loathe to admit it, but at that moment he swooned, his heart soared, and his lips tingled.

"See you tomorrow." Sai said smiling then turning from Naruto and walking away.

Naruto watched him go. Before the dark-haired teen got into his car Naruto yelled out "I had fun!".

Sai smiled back at Naruto. "Me too." He replied before sliding into his car and driving away.

Naruto leaned against the front door and slid down until he was sitting on the welcome mat. He sighed contently.

_That, _he thought touching his fingers to his lips, _was a good date._

* * *

**Again, I apologize if that was utter crap. Seriously. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **

So yeah, was at home all day today, sleeping, so I was like "Maybe I should go do some work since I feel better" then I got up and wrote this...

That's how good I am at being a student.

Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **

I'm pretty sure I already said I didn't own anything but the storyline, but yeah I don't own Monopoly or Twister or Battleships...

* * *

Chapter Eight: **A Game.**

"I can't believe you didn't tell me your bro was gay, yeah." Deidara said as he made himself comfortable on Itachi's bed.

Itachi squeezed onto the bed beside him, his precious laptop in his hands. "Why would I?" the raven asked. "It's not any of your business."

"Not my biz?!" Deidara spluttered. He began counting off his fingers reasons why it most definitely _was _his 'biz'. "One: he is incredibly hot, like damn, yeah. Two: I am gay and as my friend you have the _duty_ of pointing out incredibly hot guys you _know _are gay. Three: Let's face it, I'm out-of-this-world good-looking, so me and Sasuke are a perfect match. The sex would be brilliant, and we'd make beautiful little gay-love babies. It is completely my bizz, yeah."

Itachi, who had opened his laptop as Deidara had begun his reasoning, was still holding the top of the screen, and staring at the blonde beside him with wide eyes. "That's disturbing, and impossible." He said.

"Impossibly disturbing. I like that, yeah." Deidara nodded to himself thoughtfully.

"Okay, Dei. May I remind you, as your friend," He pinched the bridge of his nose. "That my brother is sixteen."

Deidara looked sideways at Itachi as if to say 'so what?'

"_Sixteen._" Itachi repeated. "That means he is only just legal. And _you _Dei, are eighteen, officially speaking: an adult."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "It's only two years difference, and for your information _I_ had sex when I was fourteen. It's no big deal, 'Tachi."

"I know. You are a slut." Itachi stated.

Any normal person would have been upset at a comment as blunt and offensive, but Deidara simple nodded his head and said "That _is _true."

"Plus Dei, you have a _boyfriend. _You can't just go around eye-raping sixteen year olds." _Or physically raping, _Itachi added in his head.

Deidara waved his hand dismissively. "Hidan's a cock-headed asshole. All he cares about is sex," Deidara sighed "not that sex with him isn't _incredible," _the way Deidara savoured those words made Itachi feel slightly uncomfortable."But all we do is fuck. We aren't together, 'Tachi. I'm just his plaything." Deidara pouted, and his eyes darkened. "I want my own plaything." He said dangerously, licking his lips as he thought of the younger Uchiha brother.

Itachi sighed. "And I was beginning to feel sympathetic for you, but you're just as bad as Hidan. Although I know for a fact that Hidan doesn't even _think_ about sex with anyone but you."

"I have no morals, yeah." Deidara said, rolling onto his side so he was facing Itachi. Itachi was sitting up against the wall, laptop where it should be (lap) and was calmly typing away. "What're you doing?"

"Work."

Deidara edged closer to Itachi. "What kind of work?"

"Schoolwork."

An arm clothed in ribbons of dark fabric snaked over Itachi's stomach and around his waist. Deidara wriggled even closer, now flush against the side of Itachi's body. He rested his head on Itachi's chest, blonde hair everywhere, peering at the document Itachi was working on.

"What are _you _doing?" Itachi asked, turning his laptop away so Deidara couldn't see the screen.

Deidara yawned, and snuggled into Itachi. "It's a shame _you _aren't gay. I'd definitely fuck you, yeah."

Itachi sighed and closed his laptop, unable to see past Deidara's sea of hair. "You couldn't just keep that to yourself?" He asked.

"Do I ever keep anything to myself?" Deidara replied, his voice trailing off.

_Jeeze, _Itachi thought, _he falls asleep so quickly. _"I guess not." Itachi said, wriggled down until his head was on the pillow, and moving one arm around Deidara and resting it on the blondes shoulder. It was the only comfortable position, and Itachi didn't mind cuddling; he and Deidara had been friends for a long time.

As Deidara fell asleep, Itachi unconsciously began stroking his hair. Despite its ragged, I-just-used-the-garden-shears appearance, Deidara's hair was surprisingly soft.

_It's a shame I'm not gay… _Itachi thought to himself with a smirk.

* * *

Naruto was floating on clouds. The date with Sai had been fun, and the older boy had made him feel special. All he could think about was having those lips on his. He wanted to feel that again. Naruto rolled over on his bed, his eyes closed, replaying the scene over and over in his mind. Sai was crazy good-looking, _almost as good looking as…_

Suddenly Sasuke's face that afternoon cut through Naruto's euphoria. The image was a blunt knife that hacked away at the good feeling Naruto had from the date, bursting through into his thoughts yelling 'Remember me! Remember this expression!' The universe had seen Naruto was completely overjoyed and it was like 'Nope. He's not allowed to feel that happy.'

Naruto groaned. If life was a musical this would be the moment that you'd hear soft, melodious music and Naruto would sit up; that moment where everyone can just _feel _the emotional, 'why does life have to be so complicated?' song coming. Naruto would sit there, staring straight ahead, before bursting into lyrical heaven.

As it was, life isn't a musical, and Naruto just lay there, heart aching as he tried to sort his feelings into sense. On one hand, he had loved Sasuke for quite a long time and the fact that Sasuke seemed to like him too was thrilling. But then on the other hand, Sasuke was too embarrassed to be with him, or to even tell anyone he was gay, and Sai, well he had sought Naruto out. Sai wasn't embarrassed; in fact he _owned_ his identity, _and _he was hot, and he was older which immediately gave him a cool-factor.

_But what was that expression? _

Naruto got out his cellphone. Earlier he'd wanted to talk to someone about the date, and the only person who came to mind was Sasuke. They told each other everything. Well, Naruto chatted Sasuke's ears off and Sasuke said anything he thought was important. He scrolled through his messages and came to Sasuke's thread.

A pang of guilt shot through Naruto when he saw the last text; the text he'd ignored yesterday. _Hey. _

* * *

Sasuke poked at his dinner. His mind was too occupied with thoughts to remember to tell him to be hungry. He looked across the table at Itachi, eating his food calmly and elegantly, Deidara beside him, wolfing down his own food with a frown etched on his face.

Itachi smiled apologetically at his mother, and she returned the look. Earlier on she'd come into Itachi's room to tell him dinner was ready, mistaking the long haired blonde wrapped around him for a girl she'd said "Tell your lady friend she is welcome to stay for dinner." Unfortunately for Mikoto, Deidara had been awake at this point and was thoroughly offended.

"Where is father tonight?" Itachi asked, taking a sip of his water and moving a strand of Deidara's hair behind the blonde's shoulders as it was getting dangerously close to his soup bowl.

"He had to work late." Mikoto replied. "Someone did something," she waved her hand around "and he has to fix it."

Deidara sat up. "Sounds like you don't know much about anything." He spat out rudely. Itachi frowned and kicked Deidara under the table.

Mikoto sighed. "Again, Deidara, I am so very sorry for mistaking you for a girl." She said. "Your face was obscured by hair-"

"You look like a girl." Sasuke interrupted.

Mikoto frowned. "Sasuke don't be so rude!"

"It's alright Mrs. Uchiha, miss." Deidara said. "I don't mind it when Sasuke says it." the blonde winked at Sasuke from across the table. "You like that in your men, don't you Sas. Petite and girly," He flicked his hair. "And blonde."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. He looked over at his mother, searching her expression.

"Deidara." Itachi growled. "You look like you've had enough. Why don't you go to my room."

Deidara laughed and stood, bowing to Mikoto as he did so. "Absolutely delightful dinner, Madam Uchiha." He said, prancing out of the dining room.

"Mother I apologize…" Itachi began.

"He's energetic isn't he?" Mikoto laughed. Sasuke and Itachi stared at their mother. "Not as energetic as your Naruto, Sasuke, and he has a little less manners…" Mikoto laughed again.

_My Naruto? _Sasuke didn't know what to say. His mother was hardly ever like this. Maybe in the absence of their father she felt more relaxed.

Sasuke felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Despite the no-phones-at-the-dinner-table rule, Sasuke pulled it out. He kept it on his lap, the edge of the table hiding it from his mother's view.

It was a text. From Naruto. _'come over' _it said.

* * *

Naruto heard Tsunade open the front door, and a few seconds later he heard "Come on in, he's in his room."

Naruto didn't move. He heard light footsteps making their way up the hall, pausing ouside his bedroom and then the door was opened. His was lying on his side on his bed, back to the door. Sasuke walked forward and Naruto felt the mattress sag a little as the tall boy sat down on the end.

"What's up?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Naruto rolled over and sat up against the bed frame, finally looking at Sasuke. "Does something have to be 'up' for me to want to see my best friend?"

Sasuke wanted to say 'at the moment, yes.' But he didn't. He said nothing. They just stared at each other in silence for a few minutes.

Then Naruto started to laugh, really laugh; like if-this-doesn't-stop-soon-I'm-going-to-pee-my-pant s laugh. Sasuke smirked.

"What's so funny, idiot?"

"This is just," he tried to catch his breath "really weird." More laughing.

Sasuke's heart felt all tight watching Naruto laugh. The blonde was so attractive, especially when he was happy.

"How was your date?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Naruto's laughter ceased immediately and the room seemed to lose some of its light. "Play a game with me?" Naruto said, blatantly avoiding Sasuke's question.

"A game?"

"Monopoly, Battleships… Twister?"

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. "It's almost nine."

"So? Stay the night. And we can play until we fall asleep." Naruto beamed at Sasuke, and as stoic as the Uchiha tried to be, he couldn't resist that cute little face.

"Have you done your homework?" Sasuke almost laughed at his own question. _Of course he hasn't. _

Naruto grinned. "Of course I haven't."

* * *

At ten to twelve Tsunade peeked in through Naruto's door and smiled at what she saw: her precious nephew and Sasuke lying, dead to the world, around a Monopoly board, game pieces and fake money scattered all around them. She chuckled a little, noticing all the property cards beside Sasuke apart from one, which even in his sleep Naruto was clutching tightly in his hand.

Tsunade crept in and carefully lifted up Naruto and placed him up on his bed on top of his duvet, draping a blanket over him. She knew that Sasuke, the normal-sized teenage boy, would be far too heavy for her so she just pulled a pillow off the side of the bed Naruto wasn't on and placed it under his head. She left the room for a moment, and returned with another blanket, placing it over Sasuke.

_So fucking cute, _she thought as she closed the door behind her.

Sasuke laughed quietly when she left the room. Naruto getting picked up so easily and carried to bed was priceless. He got up, bringing his blanket and pillow with him and lay down on the bed beside the blonde. Naruto was sprawled out, snoring softly. Sasuke leaned over and kissed him on the nose.

"Night, idiot."

* * *

**I feel sad now. But also kinda happy. But sad cause I just got this feeling that something bad is gonna happen :( **


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **

Hello there readers, enjoy, review, whatever. Next chap will be up soon ;)

Also,

* * *

Chapter Nine:** (I refuse. No more, no more. There shall no longer be chapter names. Unless I have a really good one. But here it is, Chapter nine)**

Sasuke looked at the orange shirt. "No way." He said.

Naruto frowned. "It's the only shirt I've got that will fit you."

"It's orange."

Naruto thrust the shirt to Sasuke's chest. "Deal with it bastard. Unless you want to wear the clothes you were wearing last night, this is your only option."

"It's _orange._" Sasuke repeated.

Naruto sighed. "I'm not colour blind."

Slowly Sasuke held the shirt out in front of him, a look of disgust on his face. Naruto disappeared from the room.

"Such an obnoxious colour." Sasuke muttered taking off the shirt he'd slept in and, after holding the orange monstrosity up once more to look at it, pulling it over his head.

"What was that Sasuke?" Naruto asked, returning with a comb in his hand.

"I was merely stating how overjoyed I am to be wearing such a fashionable item of clothing as this."

"Your sarcasm is much appreciated. Would you rather wear something of Jiraiya's? Or Tsunade's?" Naruto laughed and went to stand in front of the small mirror on the wall. He proceeded to rake through his unruly blonde hair with the comb, failing miserably at taming the spiky mane. If anything combing it just made it messier.

"At least neither of them would even _think_ of wearing… pumpkins pretending to be T-shirts." Sasuke muttered.

"Gah!" Naruto tugged at the comb. "This happens every morning!" He whined pulling again. Stubbornly the comb peered out from Naruto's rat-nest he called hair, refusing to budge, mocking him.

Sasuke walked over to Naruto, removing the shorter boy's hands from the comb and replacing them with his own.

"I can fix it myself." Naruto pouted.

Sasuke smirked. With a few effortless twirls and pulls he deftly freed the comb, and was about to hand it to Naruto when he fully noticed the state of the blonde's hair.

"Is this the first time you've ever tried to brush your hair?" He asked, starting to drag the comb through some particularly bad areas in Naruto's hair.

"I just told you, this happens every morning." Naruto mumbled and crossed his arms across his chest; Sasuke brushing his hair was degrading, and _embarrassing_.

Tsunade chose this moment to burst into the room. The boisterous woman threw Naruto's schoolbag onto his bed and yelled "You idiots are going to be late!" before cackling and taking her leave.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and put the comb down on Naruto's desk, watching as Naruto went into a panicked frenzy, scrabbling under his bed for his shoes.

"They're out on the porch." Sasuke said.

"Huh?! Oh." The blonde calmed down and grabbed his bag from the bed. Then he remembered something. "Shit! Lunch!" Naruto ran from the room.

"Right…" Sasuke followed calmly, not bothering to be worried about the time. He didn't worry about being prepared for the school day ahead, seeing as he had neither his schoolbag nor any of his books with him.

In the kitchen Naruto was preparing something that almost resembled a sandwich. It seemed he didn't have a particular flavour in mind for it though, and was stacking the bread with random stuff from the fridge and the pantry.

"Why are you worried about being late?" Sasuke asked, sitting down at the bench. "You're _always _late."

Naruto continued to swirl around the kitchen. He threw a whole pickle on top of the tower of fillings in his sandwich. Slamming the refrigerator door he asked "What do you want for lunch?"

"I think I'll buy lunch today… I've been craving some of the canteen's tomato soup…" Sasuke replied eyeing up Naruto's 'creation' on the kitchen bench.

With a nod Naruto went back to his flurrying, and Sasuke leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand.

While Naruto scurried around, flinging packets of 'stuff' out from the pantry and scanning the fridge again and again, Sasuke sat quietly and wondered about last night.

How had Naruto's date gone? Had it gone horribly wrong, and was that why he asked Sasuke over? Sasuke felt a pang of guilt for hoping that it was so. All he wanted was Naruto to be happy, but was it too much to ask that he be happy in Sasuke's arms rather than some seventeen year old art-prodigy?

"Shall we go?" Naruto said, now standing right beside Sasuke, bag on back.

"Mn."

* * *

"How was it then?" the redhead asked in a bored tone.

"If you don't care, why ask?" Sai replied angrily.

"It's obvious you want to tell us about it."

Sai started doodling on his book, turning his face away from his friend in an obvious way.

Gaara sighed. "_How _was it?" he tried, more cheerfully this time.

At the desk on the other side of Sai sat Neji, equally as emotion-free as Gaara. "You sound pained." He stated.

"Happy doesn't suit you at all, Gaara." Sai muttered, leaning forward and touching his forehead to his desk.

Neji nodded. Gaara scowled. "Are you going to tell us anything?" Neji asked.

Sai sat up and with one last flick of his pen on the paper, his drawing was finished. "Naruto is," He sighed "glorious."

Neji leaned forward and examined the sketch in the middle of Sai's page. "Cute too." He said nodding his head at the face on the paper.

Sai drew a little heart beside the face. "He eats like a fox, but he kisses like a butterfly." A contented sigh escaped his lips and he leaned on one arm, doodling more small hearts around the drawing of Naruto and filling them in.

Gaara chuckled. Sai's eyes widened and he slowly turned to look at the boy beside him.

"Here we were thinking you didn't have feelings." The redhead laughed again. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "But you are smitten. What could have possibly happened?"

Sai's face was blank. "Nothing." Pale arms folded over a black shirt. "He's just nice. I like his expressions."

Neji smiled a little. "He's younger?"

"Yes. The year below us."

"That's a-"

"You three down the back!" Mr. Umino yelled. "I'm sorry, is my lesson getting in the way of your gossip session?" _So he chose sarcasm, _Sai mused. _No doubt he is aiming to embarrass us. _

"Not at all, sir." Sai replied. "We are managing quite perfectly. You may continue."

The English teacher's face turned red. "I was being sarcastic!"

"I know."

* * *

"Late again, Uzumaki. Oh? You too Uchiha? That's too bad." Pein walked across to the table at the front of the class, dragging his nails across the blackboard as he did so. The horrible high pitched scraping noise reverberated through the room and everyone in the class covered their ears. Pein's classroom was the only room that still had a blackboard, which he liked to keep for exactly this reason.

Naruto swallowed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I suppose there's only one thing for it,' the teacher spoke quietly, his voice was haunting. He pulled two pieces of paper out from a drawer in the desk, and wrote something on both of them. "Lunchtime detention!" He shrieked.

Naruto leapt into the air from surprise at the sudden outburst. Beside him Sasuke frowned. He _never _got detention.

Pein handed them both their own detention slips before commanding them to take a seat.

Naruto slumped down in his chair. "This, bastard, is why I was in a hurry this morning." He grumbled.

"Hn."

In the desk in front of them Sakura turned around. "Nice shirt, Sasuke." She grinned evilly. "Looks familiar…"

"Say another word and I'll cut all of your hair off." Sasuke threatened.

"Oooh, someone get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Sakura leaned towards him more.

To the girl's surprise no icy comeback was fired and she tilted her head to the side, scrutinising the dark-haired boy's face.

"Eh? Sasuke what's up with you?" Naruto said dumbly, staring at Sasuke's expression. "Sasuke?"

Slowly a red tinge crept over Sasuke's face. His thoughts:_ I slept in Naruto's bed last night. I'm wearing his clothes. _

_It's no big deal, idiot, you've slept in Naruto's bed plenty of times. _

_Yeah but that was before I liked him._

_Nothing happened. _

_I wish something had… _

_You're a pervert. _

_You're me. _

_Then I wish something had happened too. _

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke." Naruto sang. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sas-"

"Uzumaki!" Pein yelled. "Shut up!"

* * *

It had begun to rain outside, so everyone had to stay inside for interval. To Sasuke's relief, most of his and Naruto's friends decided to go to the library, so they were almost alone in their form class.

_Time to talk, _Sasuke thought.

"Naruto," Sasuke began "How was your date with," He pretended to think "Sai was it?"

Naruto inhaled his food. Sasuke frowned as he coughed and spluttered. Unimpressed, he thumped his fist against Naruto's back, and the blonde coughed once more, launching a clump of half-chewed sandwich across the classroom. Someone yelled "Gross!"

"Um…" Naruto said, shrinking into himself, embarrassed. "It was nice… the date…" He looked down at his lap as if suddenly his hands were really interesting.

"Why did you ask me to come over?"

Naruto fidgeted around and still wouldn't look up.

"Naruto?"

"You're my friend aren't you?!" Naruto yelled, suddenly locking eyes with Sasuke. "I just wanted to see you!"

The other people in the room were quiet, their attention captured by the loud outburst.

Looking around, quietly Naruto continued "You're my best friend, and I had my first date last night and…" Sasuke willed him to say 'I wish it'd been with you' but Naruto said nothing more.

The things that Naruto wanted Sasuke to know were all spinning around in his head. _Sasuke, you're my best friend and I wanted you to be there for me after my first date. _

_I also love you, and I wanted you to _be_ my first date. _

_But you don't seem to want me anymore. Maybe you liked kissing me, but… _

_This guy Sai, you met him yesterday, he's really nice and, I'm confused now._

_I'm only sixteen so maybe I'm too young to know what love is… But whenever _we_'re together, my heart beats faster, and I feel happier. I don't know if I feel that way about Sai though…_

_Sasuke, could you for once just say how _you _are feeling. _

_Sasuke. _

_Sasuke. _

Naruto opened his mouth to say all this, but all that came out was his breath.

Sasuke nodded. "I hope you had a really fun time." He said quietly, standing and walking from the room.

* * *

**Ooooh woooaw, so yeah, stuff's a happening... sorta... not really... But still, I hope this is still enjoyable :/**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **

Ahhh! I was supposed to study, but what the heck, what better way to procrastinate than by writing another chapter :)

Hope this is at the same level of beauty as the other chapters... unless of course, the other chapters were incredibly ugly, then I hope this one is more stomachable.

**No Itachi or Deidara in this chapter?! I know, I miss them too :( But sadly their place isn't here, for now... **

* * *

Chapter Ten

_Room 12. Maths Block. 1:36 P.M_

The room was pretty full, as it always was at lunchtime. Sitting down the back, shrouded in gloom, were the quiet, brooding types; the ones who held a constant air of indifference around them at all times. Through the middle were the rowdy kids that were here so often you'd have thought they _liked_ detention; mixed in with the chill bunch who took the opportunity to chat amongst each other. As you approach the front of the class you'd find the timid first offenders and the out of place straight-A students sitting, looking completely out of place. 'It was a misunderstanding' was dropped daily, but it was better to just keep quiet and accept defeat. If Pein, the supervising teacher, didn't shred you up for it, the rest of the students would take it upon themselves to put the cowardly whiner in their pathetic place.

The bell had rung almost ten minutes ago, so most of the convicts had arrived, but students were still trickling through the door, all sourly placing their detention slips on the teacher's desk before finding a seat.

Sasuke arrived before Naruto, and after receiving a smirk from Pein, he stood at the front of the class, unsure where to sit. The gloom down the back appealed to him, but before he could make his way down there someone called out to him.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned his head in the direction of the voice. Sitting to the right, over by the window, almost the back but not quite, was Sai: Naruto's love interest. The pale teen was smiling and waving him over. _Why not? _Sasuke thought to himself. _I should make an effort to get to know him, for Naruto's sake. _He almost smirked at the tone of his inner self. _Yeah… For Naruto's sake… _

Sasuke walked over to Sai and took the empty seat beside him. On the other side of Sai, right up against the wall, sat a redhead he recognised but didn't know.

"How're ya?" Sai asked cheerfully. The redhead smirked. Who did Sai think he was fooling with that jovial attitude?

"Fine." Sasuke replied, placing his schoolbag on the desk in front of him.

"What are you in for?" Sai said, still smiling.

_He smiles too much. _"I was late for class."

"Oh? Shame." Sang the dark-haired boy.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Sai was just too cheerful. "What about you?" He asked, turning his attention to his bag.

Sai pondered for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure." He turned to the redhead beside him. "You know, don't you Gaara?"

Gaara grunted. "You were talking back to Iruka in a less-than-respectful manner." He folded his arms over his chest. "And somehow you managed to drag me into your punishment." The redhead growled.

"Oh that's right." Sai said, his eyes upside down 'u's as he remembered happily.

Sasuke pulled an exercise book from his bag, placing it on his desktop as he dropped his schoolbag beside his feet on the floor.

Sai leaned his elbows on his own desk, resting his head in his hands. "What're ya doing?" he asked, watching Sasuke open the exercise book.

"Work."

"We don't have to do anything until Pein tells us to." Sai said, eyes curious as Sasuke began to write.

"I like to utilize my time wi-"

"Uzumaki!" Sasuke was cut off as Pein's yell echoed through the now-quiet room. "Do you remember _why_ it was that you got detention?!" The teacher's voice dripped with sadistic pleasure at being able to yell at a student.

Naruto stood with wide eyes. Pein was incredibly scary and the short blonde found it hard to form words with eyes such as his upon him.

"Answer me!" Pein yelled.

Naruto jumped and screamed "Yes ma'am!" The other students in the room tittered. "I mean, uh, Sir!"

Giving a warning look to everybody else Pein focused again on Naruto. "And why was that, Na-ru-to?" he asked in a sickly-sweet voice, taking a step forward. Sasuke frowned. _Teachers aren't allowed to act like that, _he thought, seeing Naruto's timid expression.

"Because I was late for class…" Naruto cheeped, shrinking away from the teacher.

"Ah yes," Pein said, as though this had jogged his memory "You were late for class this morning, along with Uchiha." Pein turned to walk over to the teachers' desk, running his index finger along the smooth surface of the whiteboard wistfully. "Now how completely hilarious is it that you should turn up _late_ for the punishment of the same crime?"

Naruto didn't dare reply with 'It's rather ironic don't you think?' He just stood and waited for Pein to continue.

"As I thought. It isn't funny at all." Pein muttered. "To your seat, Uzumaki."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, and took in the faces of the other 'delinquents' in the room. He found Sasuke and started in his direction. To his surprise, sitting beside his best friend was Sai. He gave an awkward smile in response to Sai's bright one and sat down in the empty row of desks in front of them.

He dumped his bag on the desk beside his own and swivelled his chair around to face Sasuke and Sai.

As Naruto went to say something Sai stood and leaned over his own desk towards him, claiming the blonde's soft lips for a moment before sitting again.

"Hello, Naruto." Sai said. Sasuke glared at the boy beside him, who was now sitting the way he was before, elbows on the desk and head cradled in his hands. Sai smiled dreamily, losing himself in Naruto's cute, shocked expression.

"Ah, hah hah," Naruto laughed nervously, his cheeks dusted with pink "H-hey Sai." He replied.

Sasuke picked up his exercise book and slammed it closed on his desk. Naruto jumped.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said, observing his friend's angry face. "I'm sorry we were late this morning…" he apologized quietly.

_Does he seriously think _that's _why I'm angry? _"Hn."

Sai furrowed his eyebrows. "Why were you _both_ late?" He asked.

"Oh Sasuke stayed at my house last night, and we didn't realise the time so we weren't getting ready in a hurry and…" Naruto noticed the blank look on Sai's face. "Um…"

"He stayed at your house last night?" Sai asked. "After our date?"

"Um… yes…" Naruto said quietly, wishing he'd just kept his mouth shut.

Sasuke smirked. _This is interesting. _

On the other side of Sai Gaara was also curious to see where this was heading. He watched the blonde boy in front of him, fiddling with the bottom of his shirt nervously. Sai's drawing this morning had been incredibly accurate, but Naruto was so much more intriguing in real life. Gaara had wondered at the whiskers Sai had drawn, thinking that perhaps that was just the artist's way of showing Naruto's 'foxy' personality – Sai _had _said that Naruto ate like a fox – but it surprised him to see that in fact there actually _were _three thin, straight scars on either side of his face. _That's different, _Gaara thought.

Sai sat up. "You two are very good friends," He nudged Sasuke cheekily "I guess you were desperate to gossip about me and how great of a kisser I am." He winked at Naruto, who blinked in surprise. Gaara too was a bit shaken, that was definitely _not _the reaction he'd expected.

"Um… yeah." Naruto said with a grin, scratching at the back of his head.

Sasuke frowned. He'd been hoping Sai would challenge him or something. Was he really that trusting of Naruto?

"So, Sasuke," Sai said "Did Naruto give me a good review?"

Clenching his fists in anger, Sasuke turned his head from Naruto to Sai. "Oh yes," he said sweetly. "His little heart was fluttering like a hummingbird when your lips touched his."

Sai smiled, completely unaware of the dark aura surrounding Sasuke. Gaara and Naruto noticed though.

"Is that right, Naruto?" the pale boy sighed happily.

Naruto's eyes flicked to Sai and then back to Sasuke "Um…"

* * *

As soon as the bell rang Sasuke stood and stormed from the classroom. He strode down the corridoor and out of the maths block, holding his bag over his head as he ran through the rain to the main building.

_That guy… _Sasuke furrowed his brow angrily.

_Sasuke I think I have to say this. That guy is perfect for Naruto. _

_How do you figure this?! _Sasuke growled to himself.

_Well, they were cute together. _

_You're supposed to be on my side!_

_Naruto is moving on._

_He was never with me. _

_You guys spent quite a few afternoons and nights locked in each other's rooms… Making out and… touching each other… _

_Well, I was a coward and never asked him to be my boyfriend. _

_Yeah. I know. And now he's with someone who appreciates him. _

_Don't ask me to let him go. _

_I'm you, remember? I love him too. _

_What am I supposed to do? _

_What can you do? Sai is either really nice, or incredibly smart. Either way, Naruto is going to fall in love with him._

_Why are you such a bastard? _

_I'm you._

_I know. _

* * *

**Aw Sasuke! You pathetic pumkin, talking to yourself! If it means anything to you, Sas, I think you and Naruto are cute together. Don't give up hope! **

_Next chapter: Itachi and Deidara begin their scheming. Ah-hahah-haha! _


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **

Here we have it, the next chapter.

Reason for updating so soon? Well, I was writing it last night, and as I was doing so I remembered something: **Sasuke's muthaflippin' school bag.** Remember how he _didn't _have it because he stayed at Naruto's house the previous night? And then it's like, oh yeah suddenly he's got his schoolbag at lunch...

Did anyone pick up on that? Anyone go 'enough about this emotional crap, what I really want to know is _where the heck _did Sasuke's schoolbag come from?!'

Well anyways, together, you and me, we are going to imagine in out heads a little scenario (until I get around to editing the previous chapter). Okay close your eyes. Actually don't, cause then you won't be able to read...

Basically I'm thinking, Sasuke storms from the classroom at interval and bumps into Itachi, the world's most caring brother, and he hands Sasuke his schoolbag and umbrella, cause he noticed that Sasuke didn't come home last night... I dunno... Somehow at lunch Naruto doesn't notice the sudden appearance of Sasuke's bag, but that isn't surprising seeing as how Naruto can be a complete dimwit at times (A lot of the time.)

Okay enjoy :) Enjoy my amazing plot with it's many holes...

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

As he walked home after school, umbrella in hand, Sasuke decided that Naruto was _his. _There was _no way _he was going to let _Sai _take the blonde idiot from him. Now was the time to take action, _before _Naruto truly did fall in love with Sai.

He pulled his mobile from his pocket and scrolled down his contact list, looking for Itachi. To his surprise he actually did have his brother's number, and he pressed _compose message. _This would be the first time _ever _that he'd sent a text to Itachi.

Sasuke: _I am ready to have _that_ conversation._

A few minutes later Itachi replied. A gust of wind blew the rain sideways and under Sasuke's umbrella. The screen of Sasuke's phone got covered in droplets of water, so he wiped it dry on his jacket before peering at Itachi's answer.

Itachi: _Dei and I will be home in an hour. We'll talk then. _

Putting his phone away Sasuke sighed. Why did it have to turn out this way? He found himself feeling that he no longer cared whether people knew he was gay. All he cared about was Naruto.

_Why am I feeling this _now_? Why do I feel so at ease about people knowing _now_? This whole drama could've been avoided… Naruto could be my boyfriend right now. We could've had our first dates _together.

Sasuke gripped his umbrella tighter, stopping in his tracks. He'd never forgive himself for being such a coward.

The wind picked up and tugged at the umbrella in his hand, so Sasuke pushed away his troubling thoughts and hurried home.

* * *

"Sasuke is a great guy." Sai said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, he is." Naruto responded quietly.

Sai had, because of the rain, had offered to drive Naruto home, so they were in his car heading for Naruto's house.

"You okay, Naruto?" Sai asked.

"Just got thoughts…"

"Hm, sometimes I have those…" Sai said and Naruto just had to laugh. But it wasn't his usual crazy laughter, and it died out rather quickly. Sai's smile faltered for a second. "You were like this yesterday too, at the beginning of our date."

Naruto looked up at the older boy, staring straight ahead; hands gripping the steering wheel.

"I'm worried about him." Naruto said, watching the rain pound mercilessly against the glass and the windscreen wipers, as equally without mercy, swiping the water to the side.

"Why?" Sai asked softly.

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but then he remembered his promise to Sasuke. "I can't tell you," he sighed "sorry."

They arrived at Naruto's street, and approaching his house Sai slowed the car. He pulled into a park beside the curb right in front of the house and turned off the engine of the car. "Don't be sorry," Sai smiled kindly "it's not any of my business." He reached forward and stroked Naruto's scarred cheek. "But feel free to talk to me about anything, okay?"

Naruto shivered at Sai's warm touch. "Do you want to come in?" He asked quietly.

Sai beamed. "Sure."

* * *

He'd driven Naruto home. They'd driven right past him. Naruto had been looking right at Sai, and laughing.

Sasuke slammed the front door behind him angrily, dropping his umbrella upside down in the stand and kicking his sneakers off, not caring that they weren't neatly lined up with the rest of the shoes.

That bastard had driven _Naruto _home.

_Why the fuck don't _I _have a car?! I could've driven Naruto home!_

_You don't even have a licence. _

_What the fuck does that matter?! Naruto should be riding home with me! _

_Well, it sort of _does _matter… _

_Shut up! The problem is… Naruto looked really happy. _Sasuke moaned dramatically, and leaned against the wall, dropping his schoolbag to the floor. He hit his head on the hard surface, and liking the way it made him feel as though he was knocking the memory away, did it again.

"Sasuke what are you doing?" His mother asked, having heard the steady banging noise from the kitchen and came to investigate.

Sasuke mumbled something unintelligible and continued to bang his head against the wall.

"Sasuke… Um…" Mikoto dragged her son into the kitchen and sat him down at the island. "Have some water." She said, placing a glass in front of him.

He stared at the water dumbly.

"Sasuke, did something happen at school? Are you sick?" She placed her hand against his forehead, checking for a fever.

"Sick of life." Sasuke said melodramatically.

Mikoto frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened, Sasuke?"

"Nothing, nothing." Sasuke dismissed her and stood up, his mental breakdown coming to an end. "Don't worry about it." He left the kitchen and went straight to his bedroom. Mikoto chewed anxiously on her bottom lip, watching her son slink from the room. How could she _not _worry?! There was obviously something afoot here… She decided to let Sasuke be for the time being, but later she and he were going to have a little chat…

* * *

"Dei…" Itachi looked apprehensively over at the blonde, who today was sporting a pair of extremely tight cracked leather pants, and huge clunky boots covered in chains and buckles and, of course, safety pins.

"It's not my fault you finish your work so quickly. I'm your ride home, so we go when _I'm_ done, yeah." Deidara held up a clay face. "Aw it's kinda cute." He said affectionately.

Itachi crossed his arms over his chest. "It's grotesque." He said coldly.

Deidara put the face down. "Same thing, yeah." He began to hum, out of tune and obnoxiously loud.

"Dei!" Itachi growled.

"I know, I know. The bro needs you." Deidara swirled around, humming again, and waggled his hips strangely before pointing at Itachi. "Well he's gonna have to wait, yeah!"

Itachi scowled at Deidara before checking the time on his cellphone. "Ten more minutes. When that's up I'll be dragging you to the car whether you're finished here or not."

Deidara licked his lips. "You're so dominating over me, 'Tachi." purred the blonde. "I don't think I'd _mind_ you _dragging _me to the car…"

Itachi chose to ignore Deidara's incredibly suggestive tone. "It's no wonder all you and Hidan do is have sex; it's obviously _all _you think about." He said passively.

Deidara dropped his seductive act. "Fuck you, yeah." He said, turning around and getting back to his work.

Itachi frowned. Usually Deidara would've said something like 'its true 'Tachi, when I'm with you, it's all I _can _think about' or 'what else is there to think about, yeah?'. Itachi cursed himself for making light of an obviously touchy subject for his friend.

"Dei…" Itachi walked over to the blonde hunched over the art bench. He placed a hand on Deidara's shoulder. "Hey Dei, I'm sorry." He apologized softly.

"It's fine." Deidara said. "All me and Hidan do _is _fuck. It shouldn't upset me when you say it."

Itachi didn't know what to say. He knew that Deidara, despite his constant and blatant flirting with other people, really cared about Hidan and he knew that it hurt the blonde every time Hidan ditched him straight after sex. Hidan was faithful, Itachi could guarantee that, but he didn't seem to want to extend his and Deidara's relationship beyond sex. And Deidara was a cuddly person, even if he didn't seem it, so Itachi could tell when Hidan had been particularly cold towards the blonde because Deidara would just want to touch Itachi and hug him. Itachi allowed it, partially because Deidara needed it, and partially because it was nice.

Itachi wrapped his arms around Deidara's front and pulled him against his body, hugging him from behind. "I'm really sorry." He whispered into Deidara's hair.

After a few minutes of them standing there in silence Deidara sighed. "I've lost my inspiration for the moment. Let's go help the baby Uchiha, yeah."

Itachi let go of Deidara and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

"Your parents are nice." Sai said genuinely, following Naruto to his bedroom.

"Oh they aren't my parents; they're my Aunt and Uncle." Naruto replied casually.

"Oh." Sai said. He wasn't sure if he should ask. It could be a sensitive topic for Naruto.

"My parents are dead." Naruto answered the unspoken question that always follows the 'they're my Aunt and Uncle' bomb.

"I'm sorry." Sai said quietly.

Naruto sat down on his bed and smiled. "Don't worry 'bout it, kay?"

Sai walked over to Naruto's bookshelf, appreciating Naruto's eclectic taste in books and mangas. He didn't know what to say to Naruto. Hearing someone say their parents are dead so casually was incredibly strange.

"Usually people give me a hug or something when I tell them." Naruto said, humour glinting in his eyes. Sai flicked his head around quickly to look at the petite blonde sitting on the bed. He rushed to him and threw his arms around Naruto's small frame.

"I didn't realize I was supposed to do that." He gushed, squeezing Naruto tight.

Naruto chuckled. "I was joking," He said with a smile "although it is true."

Sai let go of him. "Naruto you look beautiful with your hair all wet from the rain." He said, brushing a strand of hair behind Naruto's ear. Naruto blushed. "May I draw you?" Sai asked.

Surprised, Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh… sure…" he said.

Sai stood up, and walked out the door.

"Wait," Naruto called out. "Where are you going?"

Sai peered around the doorframe at Naruto. He smiled cheerfully. "I'm just going to get my sketchbook from the car."

"Oh right." Naruto returned the smile.

When Sai disappeared down the hallway Naruto fell back heavily on his bed. His heart was beating faster and he felt all hot. _This is how I feel with Sasuke, _he thought to himself.

* * *

Deidara poked his head through the door and grinned at the boy lying on his stomach with his face buried in a pillow. "Sasuke!" He sang. "We have arrived!"

Sasuke groaned into his pillow.

Itachi followed Deidara into Sasuke bedroom and frowned at his brother. "Sasuke, I thought you were ready to talk."

Sasuke rolled onto his back. "I am." He sat up and stared at Itachi seriously. "I want you to help me get Naruto back."

Deidara yelped with glee. "'Tachi, 'Tachi," He sang "Oh 'Tachi I have so many brilliant ideas!"

Sasuke turned to glare at Deidara. "Who said you were part of this?" He asked coldly.

Deidara stared right back at the younger Uchiha. "Your brother is my boyfriend so I get to be involved with his projects, isn't that right 'Tachi."

Sasuke looked over to Itachi in shock, seeking confirmation that Deidara's information was the truth. Itachi shook his head a little.

"Dei, despite his inappropriate nature, is a good schemer, so he'll be staying." Itachi said.

Deidara nodded with a 'humpf' and ran over to hug Itachi. "Oooh baby, you're so good at commanding people."

Sasuke looked positively astounded, and felt a little more than a bit creeped out.

Itachi unlatched Deidara from him and pulled up a seat from Sasuke's desk. "Okay," He said "Where shall we start?"

* * *

**God dammit. That bag thing. Still on my nerves. How'd I miss that? Oh well... **


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **

Sorry for leaving people in distress! (Not that you guys were, but... still)

I have been banned from using any computer... which sucks, but no one is home this afternoon so I've managed to sneak on and write this chapter.

My next chapter should be sooner... I'm gonna write it by hand (UGH) and then type it up as soon as I can sneak on again.

* * *

Chapter Twelve.

Sasuke missed kissing Naruto. He missed the warmth and the taste. He missed the _closeness_.

And in the absence of their make-out sessions Sasuke had become _obsessed _with miso ramen. I would say he loved it like Naruto loved it, but the truth was, Sasuke's obsession was formed solely because the salty noodle soup was what, not too long ago, he'd been licking off Naruto's lips in their frequent afterschool exploration of each other's mouths. Sasuke refused to eat anything apart from ramen while at home, and in a way he was beginning to loath the stuff. On the other hand, since the abrupt stop of him and Naruto's intimacy it was all that satisfied him.

"You need some time alone with that?" Itachi smirked, watching Sasuke practically making-out with his lunch.

"Fuck off." Was Sasuke's intelligent response.

"You look like you need some time alone. I'll go." Itachi teased, pretending to get ready to stand up.

Sasuke scowled at his brother, slurping up the final noodle. "When is Deidara getting here?" He asked, placing his chopsticks on the table and pushing his empty bowl forward.

Itachi smiled. "He'll be glad that you're missing him."

Sasuke sputted. "I AM NOT!" Burst from his lips. After allowing himself a disturbed shudder at the thought of the psychotic blonde, Sasuke calmed himself and said in a dismissive tone "I was only asking because I'm anxious to get on with our 'meeting'." The 'meeting' was accompanied with a sarcastic expression and air quotations with his hands.

"Ah yes. The _previous_ one uncovered quite a lot, don't you think? We can definitely use Dei's connection with Sai to our advantage."

Sasuke crossed his arms and rested them on the table. "I don't want to kill Sai, just to make that clear. Deidara had it in his mind that 'taking him out of the picture' meant murder..."

Itachi laughed. "Really? I tuned him out after a few minutes. I suppose murder _would _be the easiest option..." Itachi pretended to think about it. Just as Sasuke was about to yell abuse at his brother for having such weirdo friends the weirdo himself arrived, screaming obscenities into the calm house as he barged through the front door. "Happy holidays, maggot!" The blonde yelled in Sasuke's face once he found them in the dining room. "And Itachi." He said sweetly, blowing a mock-kiss to the older Uchiha brother.

"Holidays... yay..." Sasuke muttered, standing and picking up his and Itachi's empty bowls from lunch. He took them to the kitchen, wanting to be away from Deidara until the blonde calmed down a bit. As he rinsed out the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, Sasuke chewed on his bottom lip absentmindedly. As always, Naruto was on his mind.

_The holidays will be the perfect time for Sai to properly claim Naruto as his own. _

_Claim him? You saw that kiss in detention right? In front of _everyone_? I'd say he's already Sai's. _

_God you are annoying. Do you try, or does it come naturally?_

_Sorry for thinking rationally._

_I don't accept your apology. _

_Well I don-_

"Sasuke," Deidara drawled, interrupting Sasuke's argument with himself. "How is your 'one true love', yeah?" The blonde sidled up to the kitchen bench beside Sasuke.

Sasuke moved away from him. "My one true love?"

"The reason I'm here," Deidara replied flatly. "Apart from wanting to spend time with your brother of course." He added.

Sasuke tried to ignore the tongue that darted out of Deidara's mouth, licking his top lip slightly while mentioning Itachi. "Naruto is fine. Didn't really talk a lot to him these last few days, apart from in class…"

"Are you going to hang out with him in the next three weeks?" Deidara asked. "Because I have some more ideas that don't even involve Sai."

Sasuke didn't like the suggestive tone in Deidara's voice. "What kind of ideas?"

* * *

"Dude, why isn't Sasuke here?" Kiba asked, throwing the baseball to Naruto.

Naruto caught it and threw it back. "I think it'll just be us today…" Naruto replied.

Kiba looked at him weirdly. "Are you guys _still _fighting?"

"Fighting isn't how I'd put it."

"You guys really need to get over whatever _it _is. And why's he ditching on both of us? I'm his friend too!" Kiba threw the ball angrily at Naruto.

"In his defense I didn't even ask him to come…"

"Oh well that's nice, Nar, _real _nice."

Naruto whined. "I feel uncomfortable around him at the moment, okay!"

Kiba caught the ball, but didn't move to throw it back. He walked over to Naruto. "Is it 'cause you're… you know…"

Naruto sighed. "Gay?" he asked. Kiba shrugged. "I suppose in a way…"

"Dude, he got a problem with that or something?"

Naruto laughed. "Nothing like that."

"What is it then?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I can't exactly tell you…"

"Of course not, of course not." Kiba muttered, walking a few metres away from Naruto before stopping and throwing the ball to the blonde.

"I would tell you if I could!" Naruto called over to him.

"Sure. Sure, whatever. Keep me out of the loop, see if I care." Kiba mumbled to himself.

* * *

"You're not serious!" Sasuke yelled, his face turning red. "That's just…"

"I'm deadly serious, Sasuke." Deidara replied.

Itachi smirked at his brother. "There are many elements needed to make this plan work, Sasuke, and that happens to be one of them."

Sasuke looked from his brother to Deidara and back to his brother, unable to contain the shock and embarrassment. "But that's so… It's not… I can't…"

"You can't," Deidara nodded. He leaned forward and smiled evilly. "But I _can. _And I will teach you, yeah."

Sasuke ducked his head, trying to hide his red face behind his hair. "What if I say no?" He asked quietly.

Deidara tutted. "You say no and the whole operation will be ruined, isn't that right 'Tachi?"

"It's not that difficult, Sasuke." Itachi said nodding "And Naruto seems innocent enough… He'll be an easy nut to crack."

"God, how can you say things like that?!" Sasuke shrieked. He shook his head. "I should've known asking you for help would be more trouble than it was worth."

"Is Naruto not worth it then?" Itachi asked. Sasuke's head snapped up, and he looked at his brother with determination in his eyes.

"He is most definitely worth it."

* * *

Back at Naruto's house food was being served; a late lunch that was bordering along the line of afternoon tea.

"This is delicious, Tsunade!" Kiba yelled, scooping some more rice onto his plate.

"Yeah, it's super tasty!" Naruto joined in.

Tsunade smiled to herself. If only they knew about her sneaky trip to the supermarket earlier, where she had visited the pre-made food isle. Thankfully all the evidence was safely disposed of in the rubbish bin. "Thank you, brats. This is my specialty." She said proudly.

Jiraiya noticed something on the floor. He picked it up, an amused expression spreading across his face. "I didn't realise your name was Mrs. Brown" He said holding up the packaging for instant fried rice.

Tsunade's face went red. "Where'd you find that?!" she yelled, grabbing the plastic from his hand.

Kiba and Naruto laughed, watching as Tsuande scrunched the 'Mrs. Brown's instant fried rice' packaging up and shoved it into the kitchen bin, muttering to herself as she sat back at the table.

Naruto sensed danger and quickly excused him and Kiba from the table.

"Thanks for the food, Tsunade!" Kiba called down the hallway.

* * *

They had a plan; a strategy.

Deidara and Itachi had decided on everything, and Sasuke had sat in silence while they schemed, shrinking more into himself with embarrassment with each new addition to the plan.

For the next three weeks, all of them would be very busy. The holidays were when love bloomed, according to Deidara, and they were to make sure that Naruto's love bloomed for Sasuke, not Sai. A party was a main element to the plan; a party with incredibly loud music, lots of alcohol and dark corners for steamy encounters.

"I think I should seduce Sai." Deidara said to Itachi.

"What?"

"I've always thought he's hot, and now that I know he's gay…" He noticed Itachi's expression. "_Plus_ it'd make trouble for him and Naruto's relationship…"

Sasuke shook his head.

_This was a _really _bad idea. _

_Hey, at least they're coming up with ideas. _

_Shut up. I don't want to get involved with such things. I mean, did you hear what they said _I_ had to do at the party? _

_Yes… I did… But that's not the point. You _have _to get involved. This is about you. You can't just let your brother and Deidara do all the work. Do you even care about Naruto?_

_Of course I do! You know that!_

_Yeah… Cause I'm-_

_You're me. I get it._

"What are your thoughts Sasuke?" Itachi asked, making his younger brother jump.

"Huh?"

Deidara stood up. "We'll take that as a yes!" He said, leaving the room.

Itachi also stood. "Okay so you understand?"

Sasuke looked blankly at him. Without thinking he nodded. Itachi smiled and followed after Deidara.

_Oh shit... what did I just agree to?_

* * *

"Can you please just tell me?" Kiba whined, rolling around on Naruto's carpet.

"No."

Kiba stopped and looked up at Naruto sitting cross-legged on his bed. "Pleeease!"

Naruto shook his head.

"Did you try to kiss Sasuke or something?" Kiba asked, rolling onto his stomach and flipping through a gaming magazine.

"No!"

Kiba grinned. "You so did!"

"Shut up Kiba! You know nothing!"

Kiba sat up. He looked at Naruto more seriously. "Exactly. I know _nothing. _So could you please just tell me _something_?"

"Um…" Naruto's wall was breaking down. He wanted to talk about it so badly. "Well… you're my best friend, so I guess I can tell you…"

Kiba's eyes lit up. "Finally!"

"But you can't tell anyone!" Naruto yelled.

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Kiba said solemnly.

"Okay… Well… where to begin…"

* * *

**Hope that was okay. More excitement in the next chapter I promise! **

**Btw. If you didn't get it, they have three weeks holiday. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **

Updating this right before school. Stressful.

* * *

**C****hapter Thirteen**

"Get _out!_" Naruto pushed Kiba outside and went to slam the door in his face. Kiba stopped it with his foot, grimacing when the hard wood made contact.

"Naruto I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh!"

"You're a bastard, Kiba!" Naruto yelled, trying to shove his friend's foot out of the doorway with his own. His face was growing redder by the second and if Kiba didn't move his foot soon, he might end up leaving without one.

"I'm _really _sorry, okay! Dude, it was just a surprise! You know how long we've all known each other! I just couldn't believe it for a second…" Kiba trailed off and Naruto stopped pushing on the door. For a moment Kiba thought that he was no longer angry, but as Naruto swung the door wide open again and he caught sight of the blonde's expression he sensed a storm approaching. Cautiously he retreated his foot from the doorframe.

"I can't believe you! This situation isn't _funny!_" Naruto slammed the door dramatically in Kiba's face, and the brunette winced slightly, thinking how much that would have hurt if he hadn't moved his foot.

Kiba stared at the closed door for a minute or two, overwhelmed by Naruto's outburst and the new information his blonde friend had just divulged to him.

_Sasuke gay, huh, _he thought to himself, plodding away from Naruto's house. That _I did not expect…_

"I suppose that explains a few things though…" He said to himself thoughtfully. _And Naruto and Sasuke, together; kissing… _ He allowed himself a small chuckle.

Naruto watched from his living room window as Kiba wandered away. He sort of felt bad kicking him out like that, but then again, the _mutt_ had been incredibly insensitive about the whole situation. _Serves him right for laughing._

* * *

Haruna Sakura was lying on the grass in her backyard, soaking up the sun, when a thought occurred to her. She had been wondering about the weird way Naruto and Sasuke had been acting towards each other lately, and then in the midst of holiday relaxation, when her mind wasn't even on her friends, she had the thought. _Maybe _something _had happened between them._

You might be thinking 'of course something _freaking _happened between them, you dumb bitch', but I assure you this 'something' in her mind led her thoughts into more complex wonderings; this 'something' was laced with suggestion and drama.

_Maybe Naruto kissed Sasuke. They do spend a lot of time together, so maybe Naruto formed a sort of crush. Were they acting distant towards each other because something uber awkward happened, like a bit-o-tongue tangoing. But… _Sakura rolled onto her side, picking absent-mindedly at the grass as she thought. _Naruto likes Sai, I'm sure of it. Just yesterday he was texting me like a girl in love: 'Sai's so great. Sai's so nice. Sai's so hot'. _Suddenly the pink-haired girl sat up. _Is Sasuke jealous of Sai?_ Sakura shook her head and lay down again. _Of course not. That's stupid. Why would he be?_

"Ugh." Sakura groaned and stood up. _That's enough thinking for today_, she thought as she made her way inside.

* * *

"It makes me uncomfortable when you stare at it like that."

"I can't help it."

"Just stop."

"I can't."

Gaara stood up and walked over to Sai, who was lying on his stomach on the floor, ripping the piece of paper from the pale boy's hands.

Sai frowned. "Why did you do that?" His attention turned back the drawing in Gaara's hand.

"I told you. It makes me uncomfortable." He walked back to Sai's desk, opened a drawer, put the drawing in and closed it.

Sai stared longingly at the desk. "He's just-"

"I get it. He's attractive, and you are _infatuated, _but stare at pictures of him while I'm _not _here."

"I drew that right before he agreed to be my boyfriend…" Sai said dreamily, smiling slightly at the memory.

_"__I know we've only had one date, but I know what I want, and what I want is for you to be my boyfriend."_

_Naruto's face went red and he looked down. Sai put his hand underneath his chin and raised Naruto's face so that their eyes met._

_"__Do you feel this also?"_

_Naruto nodded, not trusting his ability to speak._

_"__Good." Sai said, placing the finished drawing in to the side and leaning forward to capture Naruto's lips in a kiss._

"His hair was all wet, because it had been raining and-"

"I'm leaving." Gaara said standing and striding from the room. Sai didn't even seem to notice.

* * *

"We'll have it at mine." Deidara said, flipping through one of Itachi's magazines.

"Why not here?" Itachi asked.

"I know more people, yeah."

"And?"

"_And_ since I know more people, the party will be bigger; the bigger the party, the more chaos. And we _need _chaos if we're going to separate Sai from Naruto."

Itachi shook his head in wonder. "You know, that was actually quite clever."

Deidara scowled. "Don't sound so surprised." he snapped.

Itachi chuckled. "Sorry, sorry, my bad."

"Your bad, yeah." Deidara muttered.

"Right. So, you need to start inviting people."

"I already have."

Itachi jerked his head up. "You already have…?"

"I already have, yeah."

Itachi drummed his fingers on his knee. "When? And, who?"

"Just now," Deidara lifted up his cellphone to show Itachi "and everyone."

"You are surprisingly efficient…" Itachi said. "Who is 'everyone' though?"

"Everyone."

* * *

Deidara: _Yo wankstain, party at mine this weekend. Bring all your pathetic friends and your new boy-toy too._

Sai: _Always a pleasure talking to the he-she. I shall attend your measly gathering, if only to flaunt my 'boy-toy' as you called my beautiful new boyfriend._

Deidara: _Congratulations. Does he know you're an emotionless prick? :)_

Sai: _Does Itachi know you have wet dreams about him?_

Deidara: _Do you know I have wet dreams about you?_

Sai: _I'll see you at the party, dickless._

Deidara: _Good. Hope you have a shit day._

Sai: _I wish this for you also._

Deidara smiled to himself. Ruining Sai's relationship was going to be fun.

* * *

"New development, Sasuke," Itachi said. "Naruto is officially Sai's boyfriend."

Sasuke looked up. "How do you know?"

Deidara grinned evilly. "Sai said Naruto was his 'beautiful new boyfriend', yeah." There was a moment of silence.

"Well," Sasuke replied calmly, although Itachi could tell he was fuming. "We already knew that would be a possibility, but nothing is set in stone, so let's _do _something."

* * *

Naruto answered the door apprehensively. He was expecting it to be Kiba, back again, and although he was still mad at him, guilt was starting to creep in for kicking the brunette to the curb. To Naruto's surprise, it wasn't Kiba, it was Sai. The taller boy leaned down and kissed Naruto on the cheek, whispering "hello" as he did so.

"H-hi." Naruto's breath caught as Sai brushed past him. "What's up?"

Sai shrugged, waiting while Naruto closed the front door. "Does something need to be up for me to come see my amazing boyfriend?"

Naruto grinned. "You want some lunch? I just made ramen for myself."

"I'd love some."

Sai followed Naruto to the kitchen, where tasty cooking smells were emanating from the pots on the stove. Sai sat down on a chair and watched as Naruto served their food into bowls. Naruto felt the eyes on him and it sent a shiver through his body.

"Here you go." The blonde said, placing the steaming bowl of miso ramen in front of Sai, who beamed. Then he sat down beside Sai with his own bowl and began to devour it. Sai observed for a moment, wondering at Naruto's shocking table etiquette and at how he made bad manners look so incredibly adorable.

"Where are your Aunt and Uncle?" Sai asked, peering through to the lounge from where he was seated.

"Out." Naruto managed; his ramen being the only thing he could concentrate on at that moment.

Sai smiled. _So I get you all to myself today? I like that. _

* * *

There was quite a bit of debate and indecision surrounding the 'plan', and what 'phase one' should be. Deidara's idea made hardly any sense, of course, and neither Itachi nor Sasuke could figure out what it hoped to achieve; but of course, Deidara being Deidara, he went along with his own plan without consulting either of the Uchiha brothers.

While Sasuke and Itachi were discussing the more sensible plans, Deidara snuck into the younger Uchiha's bedroom and stole his cellphone. He then sent one text, before replacing the phone back on Sasuke's bedside table.

Twenty minutes later, a red-faced Naruto arrived on the Uchiha household's doorstep, an air of unease surrounding him. Sasuke went to answer the door when impatient knocking sounds were heard, but Deidara held him back.

"Let 'Tachi answer it, Sasuke." the psychotic blonde said sweetly.

"Uh kay..." Sasuke replied, sitting back down. He looked at Itachi, confused, and his brother just shrugged at him and stood to see who was at the door. Despite the urgency that whoever was knocking on the door was trying to convey, Itachi strode slowly and casually down the hall.

The incessant banging was gettting on Sasuke's nerves. "Just answer it, dammit!" He yelled.

Itachi arrived at the door, and with every bit of natural grace he had (which is a whole damn lot) he swung open the door, revealing an anxious and somewhat confused Naruto.

"Itachi?" He asked, as if he expected Sasuke's older brother to be somewhere else. "You um..." He frowned and barged past Itachi growling "Where is Sasuke?"

Itachi motioned towards the lounge, and was about to close the door when a second guest arrived. Sai cocked his head to the side as he walked inside, despite not having been invited in. "Itachi...?" He said slowly. "Hmn. That's odd." Sai didn't explain what was odd, he just followed after Naruto.

Itachi checked to see if anyone else was lurking outside, waiting to come in, and he noticed Sai's car parked out on the side of the road. He _m__ust've driven Naruto here. _

When Itachi arrived back to the lounge, Naruto was yelling at Sasuke.

"What the hell, bastard?! Sending me a text like that! Getting me all worried! What's the big idea?!" Naruto had grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt - who was looking down at the angry blonde with a look of pure bewilderment on his face - and was now shaking him.

"Naruto I-"

"Itachi's right there, dummo!" Naruto pointed to Itachi, who was looking almost equally confused as Sasuke. "What the FUCK?!"

Itachi and Sai watched as Sasuke floundered for words, and when it seemed he knew what to say, Naruto interrupted him. Itachi was about to ask Sai what was going on when he spied Deidara lounging on the sofa behind Sasuke, looking pretty damned pleased with himself. Itachi smirked a little; Deidara really liked to stir up the shit.

Some of Deidara's pride dissipated when he noticed the new face in the room. He hadn't counted on Sai coming with Naruto.

Naruto seemed to have run out of insults and Sasuke could see his anger was fading. "Naruto I have no idea what you are talking about, honestly." Naruto loosened his grip on Sasuke's shirt.

"But you..."

"I haven't texted you today at all..."

Naruto looked up at him defiantly, letting go of Sasuke's shirt and delving into his pocket to find his phone. "What do you call this then?" Naruto asked turning his phone to show the screen to Sasuke. Sasuke blinked, not believing his eyes, and slowly he raised his hand to take the phone from Naruto. He peered at the message on the screen that most definitely _had _been sent from _his _number.

"Naruto... I..." Then it all clicked into place. Sasuke swirled around and glared at the smug bastard reclining on the sofa. "Deidara you little fuck!"

* * *

I hope you enjoyed :)


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